A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF BOILERS OR HEATING VESSELS, AND AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF THE CURRENTS OF HEAT AND LIQUIDS WITHIN THEM FOR HEATING, BOILING, REDUCING, DISTILLING, OR COOKING SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Sinclair, of the Town of Leith, in the
County of Edinburgh, North Britain, Boiler Maker, for the Inven-
tion of "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF
BOILERS OR HEATING VESSELS, AND AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF THE
CURRENTS OF HEAT AND LIQUIDS WITHIN THEM FOR HEATING, BOILING,
REDUCING, DISTILLING, OR COOKING SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sinclair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1871.
I, GEORGE SINCLAIR, of the Town of Leith, in the County of Edin-
burgh, North Britain, Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF BOILERS OR HEATING VESSELS, AND AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF
THE CURRENTS OF HEAT AND LIQUIDS WITHIN THEM FOR HEATING, BOILING,
REDUCING, DISTILLING, OR COOKING SUBSTANCES," to be as follows, that is to
say:
-
This Invention has reference to improvements upon the Invention for
which Royal Letters Patent were granted to the petitioner, dated the

page_text: Third day of November 1869, and numbered 3193, and relates par-
ticularly to improvements in the internal construction and arrangement
of boilers, stills, or other vessels for heating, boiling, reducing, cooking,
or distilling substances in liquids, and it consists essentially in forming
or constructing between the substances to be so treated and the internal
surfaces of the main or outer vessel or boiler containing them a clear
space for the circulation of the liquid to be used in the process. This
clear space is so arranged that the heat applied to the vessel shall cause
the liquid to ascend the said clear space at its inner surface and sides,
and then descend through or between and about the substances to be
treated; and this new clear space is formed or constructed by enclosing
the substances to be treated within an inner casing maintained by bolts
or ribs, or other equivalent supports at a short distance apart from the
sides or the bottom and sides of the vessel, or it may be thus fixed to
the vessel, or it may be made portable and removable from the main
outer vessel, so as to be capable of lifting out when desired either with
the material before or after treatment, or for the cleaning or repairing
of the vessel or casing. This inner casing is either wholly or partly
perforated with holes or openings, and is composed of sheet metal or
of wirework or of other material or fabric suitable for the particular
purpose or process they are to be used for, and it is thus made perforated
or of open material for the purpose of allowing the liquid to pass
through it while it yet retains the substances within it to be treated.
The vessels considered apart from the addition of the new inner
casing may be of any convenient shape or size, and may be made close
or open at the top and constructed of any metal or material and of
sufficient strength for the particular purpose or process desired. Where
rapid or strong boiling is desired it is preferred to enclose the vessel or
boiler to be used within a heating wall and flue space with a furnace
projecting or placed laterally to one side at the bottom, so as that the
heat may be conducted round the vessel in a spiral flue in the space
between the vessel and the surrounding wall, and be led off from the
upper part of this flue to a chimney. The heat may however be applied
with any other equivalent and suitable form of furnace and flue; or
the heat may be communicated or conveyed to the exterior or interior
of the vessel in any other convenient manner, such as by steam or
superheated steam conducted by pipes from a separate boiler and
furnace.

page_text: When heat is applied to a vessel furnished with the aforesaid improve-
ments the arrangement of the circulating clear space produces the
improved circulation of the liquid indicated above.
With vessels which have not the heat applied so as to act equally
from the bottom it is preferred to use one or more ribs or divisions
between the inner casing and the internal surface of the sides of the
outer main vessel so as to guide the circulation more equally upwards.
When the size of the vessel makes it desirable one or more perforated
tubes are introduced within the inner casing for the purpose of assisting
the downward course of the liquid through the substances to be treated.
These tubes are by preference close at the top and open at the bottom.
They act so as to assist or afford a clear channel for the liquid to return
towards the bottom and take up the fresh heat and supply and continue
the upward current at the sides of the vessel.
The advantages obtained by the improvements of this Invention are
a more complete, regular, and direct utilization and application of the
heat and motion of the heat conveying and acting liquids upon the
substances, and consequently a more perfect and quick completion of
the whole action or operation and treatment of the substance required
than has heretofore been obtainable within such heating and boiling
vessels as heretofore constructed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Sinclair in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SINCLAIR, of the Town of Leith, in the County of Edinburgh, North
Britain, Boiler Maker, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Sinclair, Her special licence, that
I, the said George Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Sinclair, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to

page_text: time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND
ARRANGEMENT OF BOILERS OR HEATING VESSELS, AND AN IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENT OF THE CURRENTS OF HEAT AND LIQUIDS WITHIN THEM FOR HEATING,
BOILING, REDUCING, DISTILLING, OR COOKING SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Sinclair, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Sinclair, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
My said Invention has reference to improvements upon the Invention
for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the Third day
of November 1869, and numbered 3193, and relates particularly to
improvements in the internal construction and arrangement of boilers,
stills, or other vessels for heating, boiling, reducing, cooking, or distilling
substances in liquids; and it consists essentially in forming or con-
structing between the substances to be so treated and the internal surfaces
of the main or outer vessel or boiler containing them a clear space for
the circulation of the liquids to be used in the process. This clear
space is so arranged that the heat applied to the vessel shall cause the
liquid to ascend the said clear space at its inner surface and sides, and
then descend through or between and about the substances to be
treated; and this new clear space is formed or constructed by enclosing
the substances to be treated within an inner casing, maintained by bolts
or ribs or other equivalent supports at a short distance apart from the
sides, or the bottom and sides of the vessel, or it may be thus fixed to
the vessel, or it may be made portable and removable from the main
outer vessel so as to be capable of lifting out when desired, either with

page_text: the material before or after treatment, or for the cleaning or repairing
of the vessel or casing. This inner casing is either wholly or partly
perforated with holes or openings, and is composed of sheet metal, or of
wirework, or of other material or fabric suitable for the particular
purpose or process they are to be used for; and it is thus made
perforated or of open material for the purpose of allowing the liquid
to pass through it, while it yet retains the substances within it to be
treated.
The vessels, considered apart from the addition of the new inner
casing, may be of any convenient shape or size, and may be made
close or open at the top, and constructed of any metal or material, and
of sufficient strength for the particular purpose or process desired.
Where rapid or strong boiling is desired it is preferred to enclose the
vessel or boiler to be used within a heating wall and flue space
with a furnace projecting, or placed laterally to one side at the bottom,
so that the heat may be conducted round the vessel in a spiral flue in
the space between the vessel and the surrounding wall, and be led off
from the upper part of this flue to a chimney. The heat may however
be applied with any other equivalent and suitable form of furnace and
flue, or the heat may be communicated or conveyed to the exterior or
interior of the vessel in any other convenient manner, such as by steam
or superheated steam conducted by pipes from a separate boiler and
furnace.
When heat is applied to a vessel furnished with the aforesaid improve-
ments the arrangement of the circulating clear space produces the
improved circulation of the liquid indicated above.
With vessels which have not the heat applied so as to act equally
from the bottom it is preferred to use one or more ribs or divisions
between the inner casing and the internal surface of the sides of
the outer main vessel, so as to guide the circulation more equally
upwards.
When the size of the vessel makes it desirable, one or more perforated
tubes are introduced within the inner casing for the purpose of assisting
the downward course of the liquid through the substances to be treated.
These tubes are by preference close at the top and open at the bottom.
They act so as to assist or afford a clear channel for the liquid to return
(colder) towards the bottom to take up the fresh heat and supply and
continue the upward current at the sides of the vessel.

page_text: The advantages obtained by the improvements of this Invention are
a more complete, regular, and direct utilization and application of the
heat and motion of the heat conveying and acting liquids upon the
substances, and consequently a more perfect and quick completion of
the whole action or operation and treatment of the substance required
than has heretofore been attainable within such heating and boiling
vessels as has heretofore been constructed and in use."
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe the manner of performing the same by reference to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings, which I have 1
hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and means
I am at present aware of for so doing, the same reference letters
indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an ordinary construction of 1
portable boiler on wheels, as used for boiling clothes for laundry
purposes, or as a boiler for farm and other purposes, such as boiling and
cooking food for horses and live stock, or for boiling bones and other
substances, fitted with my improved inner perforated casing or lining A,
which is by preference made of sheet iron closely perforated and tinned 2
on its surfaces, and hung by a strong angle iron rim A¹ to an annular
collar round the inner top edge of the main or ordinary shell of the
boiler 1, all so as to leave the narrow space a, a, between the new inner
and ordinary outer vessels A 1, all so that the materials Z placed within
the inner vessel A to be boiled could not be burned or injured by lying 2
against the outer shell 1, as usual. The heated gases and flame acting
on the bottom and sides 1 heat the water or liquid in the space a, a¹,
and cause it to flow in a strong current up the side annular space a¹
through the perforations A² in the inner vessel A and the materials Z
being boiled, especially towards the free space 2 at the top, whence it
descends through the centre of the materials and the perforations 6 of
the central tube B, which forms an open chamber to conduct the colder
currents back to the centre of the bottom space a to supply and pro-
duce the continual upward flow of the hotter side currents at a¹, all as,
indicated by the blue arrows, the top of the tube B being closed by a
perforated end, while the bottom is left open to further assist the down-
ward currents in the centre of the materials. This centre tube B is
shon in red, as it may be dispensed with when desired. In this

page_text: application the inner vessel is made so as to lift out by the bow handle
A" where there is a convenient hoist or pulley block for the purpose,
and the perforations A² in the inner vessel would drain all the hot
water or liquid off into the lower vessel 1, and leave it there ready for
another boiling when it is so desired to save the heat, and the hot water
may, when desired, be scooped out, or have a pipe and tap 3 fitted to
the boiler 1 for running it off. The fire-place 4 and heating space 5
and chimney flue 6 may all be of any ordinary construction, and there-
forc need not be described, the red arrows showing the course of the
heated products of combustion.
Figure 2 shows a sectional clevation of a long vertical boiler built
over and within a furnace 4 and cylindrical heating fluc, space, or
chamber 5 of brickwork 7, the annular flue space 5 being formed into a
spiral flue 8 leading from the furnace 4 to the chimney 6. In this
arrangement the boiler is intended for boiling when great heat and
pressure are required, and strong conical ends are preferred with a
mouth-piece and cover 9 fitted to the top one for filling the materials
into the inner vessel A of the boilers, and a lateral duct and corre-
sponding door 10 below for the convenient removal of the materials
after treatment. The new inner perforated shell or vessel A in this
case is secured to the side (in the form of long segmental plates capable
of being inserted and removed through the filling door 9) by short
screwed or riveted studs A" of such a length as to leave the side
space a all round between the vessels A and 1 for the upward currents
of the liquid. from a strong hollow pot part C fitted and riveted to the
lower conical end below the perforated end of the inner vessel A, and
on which the open end of the perforated tube B rests for the return
of the downward central currents to the pot C which contains only the
acting liquid. And this pot is exposed to the greatest heat of the flame
from the furnace 4, the heated liquid is forced up the annular space a¹,
as described in reference to Figure 1 and indicated by blue arrows in
this Figure also; a blow off pipe 11 is shown at top end from which the
high pressed steam and heat may be first blown off for heating purposes
as for heating subsequent charges of the material, and a liquid drawing
off pipe 12 is fitted below the pot to draw off the liquid before removing
the treated material by the lateral duct and door 10, or when desired
the liquid might be blown by the pressure within through the pipe 12
into a high cistern to be used over again either itself or mixed with a

page_text: fresh charge of the liquid substance to be used; the red arrows indicating
the course of the heated products of combustion acting on the outer
shell 1 on their way from the furnace 4 to the chimney 6.
Figures 3 and 4 are a vertical section and a plan with the top end
removed, of a boiler 1, as used for boiling, treating, and cleansing yarn
and other textile goods, having my improved construction of inner
perforated vessel A and annular side space a¹ for the upward current of
the heated liquid, shown in this case with three of the new or
improved perforated tubes B for assisting the downward current of the
liquid through the material Z, being boiled, in this case, by the action
of the highly heated steam or water passing in through the spiral or
other coil of perforated or close pipes 13, according as the liquid in the
space a below the perforated bottom A³ of the inner vessel A is heated
by the direct escape and heat of the steam blown up through it (from
the perforated pipes 13), or only heated by the radiation of the heat
through the pipes 13, all as indicated by the black arrows. In this
case a large lid 9 is formed and secured and jointed at the top for putting
the goods Z into and removing them from the inner vessel A, which
has its large perforated bottom A³ supported by a cruciform frame D
from the lower end of the outer vessel 1, which is fitted with a central
pipe 12 at bottom for drawing off the liquid; the blue arrows indi-
cating the upward currents of the heated liquid, which, after reaching
the top 2 through the perforations A and goods, descend again
through these Z into the three central perforated tubes B, B, B, towards
the bottom, to be re-heated by the steam and heat from the heating
pipes 13, so as thus to keep up the constant circulation of the liquids
through the material Z being treated. The steam for so heating the
liquid and material in the boiler 1 is generated in any ordinary steam
boiler or generator and superheated, when desired, by passing the small
conducting pipes 13 through a heating furnace or flue on their way to
the bottom of the boiler 1, which may have a felt and wood lining or
stcam jacket 14 round it.
Figure 5 shows a sectional elevation of a common house pot or boiler
as fitted and arranged with my improved perforated or porous lining A,
and annular liquid current space a¹ up the sides; the inner vessel A
being made portable (much the same as described in reference to
Figure 1), and shown detached in elevation and inverted plan in
Figures 6, 7, with radial and longitudinal feathers d, d', filling the

page_text: current spaces a, a¹, so as to direct the current more equally and
regularly up the sides all round from the bottom or other point where
the boiler is heated, than would be the case without the dividing and
directing feathers, especially when the boiler is not placed vertically or
heated equally all round the bottom. The blue arrows in this, as in
the other Figures, indicate the direction of the heated liquid currents.
Although I have described the inner vessel A of perforated sheet
metal, yet still it is to be understood that they may be formed of wire
or wire cloth, soldered or otherwise attached to a supporting frame d, d,
as shown in this latter application, Figures 5, 6, and 7.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner of performing the same, I may observe
in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise
details or arrangements of the parts or mere outward shape or form of
the boilers (as indicated by numerals 1 to 14), which I have had
occasion to describe, delineate, and refer to for the purpose of making
my Invention properly understood, or of these boilers having a mere
perforated false bottom (as at A³) with a space (as at a) between it and
the bottom of the main heating boiler 1, except in their combination
with the parts essential to and forming part of my said Invention; (as
these said undistinguished parts may have been used and may be used
without interfering with the main or essential features of my said
Invention); but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The construction, arrangement, and use of an inner perforated
or porous lining or vessel A within the main heating boilers or vessels
(as 1), with spaces a, a¹, between them for producing a circulation of
the heated liquid towards and up the side spaces a¹, and through the
inner casing and material being treated in it, and then down through
the centre of the materials, either with or without the use of a central
perforated or porous tube or tubes B, all for the purposes of heating,
boiling, reducing, distilling, or cooking substances requiring such treat-
ment (other than those for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to
me, numbered 3193, and dated the Third day of November 1869, for
Improvements in Treating Wood and other Vegetable Fibrous
Materials for the Production of Paper Pulp, and in the Boilers and
65

page_text: Apparatus employed therefor,") substantially as herein described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction, arrangement, and use of one or more long
perforated or porous tubes B ranged centrally for producing the down-
ward current of the liquid in boilers and heating vessels for heating,
boiling, reducing, distilling, or cooking substances requiring such treat-
ment (other than those for which the said Letters Patent were granted
to me), all substantially as herein described, and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The construction, arrangement, and use of vanes or feathers
d, d', for causing the liquid currents to flow radially and longitudinally
from the part where they are heated along and up the narrow and
annular side spaces a, a¹, of boilers or heating vessels for heating,
boiling, reducing, distilling, or cooking substances requiring such treat-
ment, all substantially as herein described and shown in the accompany-
ing Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Sinclair, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
ROBERT S. LAIRD,
Clerk,
109, Constitution Street,
Leith.
GEORGE SINCLAIR. (L.S.)