IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORSTEAM GENERATOR
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Mathew Barker, of 12, Kennington Park
Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS."
Sealed the 31st December 1870, and dated the 14th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Mathew Barker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th July 1870.
I, CHARLES MATHEW BARKER, of 12, Kennington Park Road, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:
My Invention relates to certain improvements upon a vertical tubular
steam generator, for which I obtained Letters Patent bearing date the
21st April 1869, No. 1228, in which a number of taper water circulating
tubes were fixed in the inner shell or fire-box by expanding their upper
ends into tube spaces in the roof plate of the fire-box, their lower ends
being curved upwards and expanded into tube spaces in the annular base

page_text: plate, which plate secured the inner and outer shell together, in com-
bination with descending return curved tubular flues disposed round the
exterior of the fire-box and within an annular water space, by which
the durability of the boiler was increased.
My present improvements consist, firstly, in inserting the lower curved
ends of the taper water tubes into the vertical or side plate of the fire-
box shell, instead of their being curved upwards and inserted in the
annular base plate, by which means greater facility is afforded for the
circulation of the draught in annular flue chambers beneath the base
plate, and allowing an increased fire-grate area to be obtained by the
addition thereto of the space previously occupied by the lower ends of
the taper water tubes which passed through and beneath the fire-grate.
Secondly. My improvement consists in fixing the curved upper ends
of the descending fire or flue tubes in the roof plate of the fire-box in a
circle exterior to the circles in the same plate in which the water tubes.
are fixed, by which means the water tubes and the surface of the inner
shell of the fire-box have an intimate contact with and receive a greater
degree of heat from the circulating flames and heated gases than when
the orifices of their upper curved ends were only open as any inner
circle of tubes arranged within the circle of water tubes which were also
fixed in the roof plate of the fire-box.
Thirdly. My improvement consists in inserting the upper curved ends
of some of the descending fire fire or flue tubes into the upper part of the
vertical or side plate of the fire-box or shell, by which means a larger
number of fire tubes may be employed and a more extended heating
surface obtained.
Fourthly. My improvement consists in placing a vertical flue in the
centre of the roof plate with a damper to be worked through a tube
passing through the water space and through a bush or stuffing box
fixed in the outer shell of the boiler.
Fifthly. My improvement consists in surrounding the boiler with an
outer skin or jacket, which forms an annular space round the boiler for
the escape of the smoke and products of combustion into the central flue
or chimney, the said annular space opening into or communicating with
the annular chamber beneath the annular base plate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said. Charles Mathew Barker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
MATTHEW BARKER, of 12, Kennington Park Road, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Matthew Barker, Her special
license that I, the said Charles Matthew Barker, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Matthew Barker,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM GENERATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Mathew Barker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Charles Mathew Barker, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon:-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements upon the vertical
tubular steam generator, for which I obtained Letters Patent bearing
date the Twenty-first April One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine,
No. 1228, in which a number of taper water circulating tubes were fixed
in the inner shell or fire-box by expanding their upper ends into tube
spaces in the roof plate of the fire-box, their lower ends being curved

page_text: upwards and expanded into tube spaces in the annular base plate, which
plate served to secure the inner and outer shells together, in combination
with descending return curved tubular flues disposed round the exterior
of the fire-box and within an annular water space.
My present improvements consist, firstly, in inserting the lower curved
ends of the taper water tubes into the vertical or side plate of the fire-
box shell, instead of their being curved upwards and inserted into the
annular base plate, by which means greater facility is afforded for the
circulation of the draught in the annular flue chamber beneath the base
plate, whilst an increased fire-grate area is obtained by the addition
thereto of the space previously occupied by the lower ends of the taper
water tubes which passed through and beneath the fire-grate.
Secondly. My improvements consist in fixing the curved upper ends
of the descending fire or flue tubes in the roof plate of the fire-box in a
circle exterior to the circles in same plate in which the water tubes are
fixed, by which means the water tubes and the surface of the inner shell
of the fire-box have a more intimate contact with and receive a greater
degree of heat from the circulating flames and heated gases by reason
of the direction of the draught than when the orifices of their upper
curved ends were open only as an inner circle of tubes arranged within
the circle of water tubes, which were also fixed in the roof plate of the
fire-box.
Thirdly. My improvements consist in inserting the upper curved ends
of some of the descending fire or flue tubes into the upper part of the
vertical or side plate of the fire-box or shell, by which means a larger
number of fire tubes may be employed and a more extended heating
surface obtained.
Fourthly. My improvements consist in placing a vertical flue in the
centre of the roof plate with a damper to be worked through a tube
passing through the water space and through a bush or stuffing box
fixed in the outer shell of the boiler.
Fifthly. My improvements consist in surrounding the boiler with an
outer skin or jacket, which forms an annular space round the boiler for
the escape of the smoke and products of combustion into the central flue
or chimney, the said annular space opening into or communicating with
the annular chamber beneath the annular base plate.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall

page_text: now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of my improved
boiler taken through the centre of the fire-box and fire-door along the
line 1-2 in Figure 2; Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken
along the line 3-4 in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a portion of the boiler
shewing a vertical section taken along the line 5-6 in Figure 2;.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section taken along the line 7-8 in
Figure 5) of a slightly modified arrangement of the smoke flue; Figure 5
is a horizontal section of the same; and Figure 6 is a detail vertical
section taken along the line 9-10 in Figure 5.
A represents the inner shell or fire-box of the boiler; B, the outer
shell; C, an outer skin enclosing the outer shell B, and forming a casing
all round the boiler for conducting the products of combustion into the
chimney D; E is a feed water tank which surrounds the greater portion
of the lower half of the boiler, and serves to utilize a portion of the
otherwise waste heat radiated from the outer skin of the boiler. In
the interior of the fire-box are disposed in one or more annular series) I
have represented some of the tubes of two of such series in my Drawings)
of tapered water tubes F, F¹, the upper and wider ends a of which are
expanded into the roof plate of the fire-box, as shewn clearly in Figures 1
and 3, whilst their lower ends b are curved outwards and pass through
the vertical sides of. the fire-box into the surrounding annular water
space G. Outside the fire-box there are disposed one or more series
of fire or flue tubes H, H³, (two of such series being shewn in my
Drawings,) the upper ends of the tubes of one series H being bent or
curved over, as shewn at c (Figures 1 and 2), so as to be secured into
and penetrate the roof of the fire-box, but in positions externally situate
as regards the inner ring or rings of water tubes F, F. The upper ends
of the other series of fire or flue tubės H are only bent at a right angle,
and enter the fire-box through the upper portion of the vertical sides
thereof, as shewn more clearly at d in Figure 3. The several openings
for the water and fire tubes in the roof and sides of the fire-box should
be arranged so as to break joint with each other, whereby a greater
number of tubes can be included within a given space, and maintaining
the strength of the plates. The lower ends of both the series of fire-

page_text: tubes H, H', after traversing vertically the annular water space G
surrounding the fire-box, penetrate and are secured into the annular
plate I forming the actual bottom of the boiler, and open into the
annular smoke chamber K, which communicates by a series of lateral
openings e, e, with the annular space fleading to the chimney. L is a
central vertical flue leading from the centre of the roof of the fire-box,
and opening into the chimney D. This central flue is provided with a
regulating or stop damper g worked by a spindle / passing through a
tube i and stuffing box k, the tube extending across the water space
below the water level, and being screwed at its inner end into the side
of the central flue L, whilst its outer end passes into a steam and water-
tight stuffing box k. I is a handle fast on the spindle h for opening and
closing the damper.
The water and fire tubes being disposed in the manner herein-before
described it is obvious that the products of combustion must circulate
round and amongst the series of water tubes before they can reach the
entrances to the fire tubes disposed outside the circle or series of water
tubes. In Figures 1, 2, and 3 I have represented the outer shell B of
the boiler as being supported upon the same base plate M which
supports the fire-box, the annular plate I, which forms the actual
bottom of the boiler, being made with inner and outer flanges, which
are rivetted to the fire-box and bolted to the outer shell of the boiler, as
shewn clearly in Figures 1 and 3, whereby the outer shell may be
readily removed for cleaning or repairs. A packing such as is described
in the Specification of my said former Patent is interposed between the
junction surfaces of the outer shell B and the annular plate I, as shewn
clearly in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 6.
In Figures 4, 5, and 6, however, I have represented a slightly modified
form of construction wherein the weight of the outer shell B rests upon
the annular plate I to which it is bolted, as shewn at m, in lieu of resting:
upon the main base plate M, the said annular plate I being supported
round its outer circumference by a series of strut bolts n (see Figure 6).
In these last-mentioned Figures I have also illustrated a modification
in the arrangement for conveying away the smoke and products of com-
bustion from the annular chamber K, which opens by a single lateral
communication at e into a side flue or chimney D, fitted with a
damper G, and surrounded by a feed water heater E, in lieu of opening
into an annular space or jacket f, as in Figure 1. N (Figure 1) repre-

page_text: sents the steam pipe. In my improved boiler it will be seen that the
whole of the heating surface is below the water line.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First. Inserting the lower curved ends of the water tubes, when
combined with the descending fire or flue tubes herein referred to, into
the vertical side plate or shell of the fire-box, as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. Fixing the curved upper ends of the descending fire or flue
tubes, when combined with the water tubes herein referred to, in one or
more circles in the roof of the fire-box exterior to the circle or circles in
which the upper ends of the water tubes are fixed, as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Third. Inserting the upper ends of some or all of the descending fire
or flue tubes, when combined with the water tubes herein referred to,
into the upper part of the vertical or side plate of the fire-box shell,
as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Fourth. The combination with a central vertical flue of a damper
placed therein and worked by, a spindle passing through a tube and.
stuffing box below the water level, as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Fifth. The application to vertical boilers constructed as herein-before
described of an outer skin communicating with the annular chamber at
the base and with a central chimney or flue, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Matthew Barker, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day
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