IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE HEATING OF WATER, AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Waddy Maughan, of No. 214, Goswell
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Decorative Painter, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE HEATING OF WATER,
AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Scaled the 4th June 1869, and dated the 23rd December 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Waddy
Maughan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd December 1868.
I, BENJAMIN WADDY MAUGHAN, of No. 214, Goswell Road, in the.
County of Middlesex, Decorative Painter, do hereby declare the nature.
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE HEATING
OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to.
be as follows:
The water or other liquid intended to be heated is conducted through
a suitable pipe fitted if necessary with a regulating tap or valve into

page_text: the upper part of a chamber or box, which acts as the heating chamber.
This chamber may be conveniently made of metal or other material
capable of sufficiently resisting heat, and may be covered externally
with a substance that is a non-conductor of heat. The chamber is fitted
internally with a diaphragm or diaphragms, down or along which the
liquid is caused to flow in thinly divided sheets or to trickle in
numerous small streams so as to expose a large surface to the action
of heat and so facilitate its absorption. The diaphragms may be made
to extend only part of the way between the sides or between the top
and bottom of the chamber. They may be made of sheet metal or
In
wirework, or in some cases woven or other fabrics may be used.
some cases the streams or sheets of water may be made to flow along
or down the sides of the heating chamber. I cause the heat to act
upon the liquid by exposing it while flowing down or along the
diaphragm or diaphragms or sides of the heating chamber in thinly
divided sheets or small streams as above mentioned, and also the surfaces
over which the liquid flows to the action of a current or currents of
heated air, or to the direct action of flame, as is hereafter more fully
described. The liquid is by this means made to absorb heat during
its passage through the apparatus with great rapidity. In order to
make the liquid spread as widely as possible, and flow as evenly as
possible over the area of the diaphragms, I conduct it from the supply
pipe into pipes running along the upper edge of the diaphragms having
a line of perforations on each side through which the liquid issues in
numerous minute jets. I enclose. these perforated pipes between two
Begments of a pipe of larger bore so suspended that their lower edges
which have free lateral motion almost touch the opposite sides of the
diaphragm at its upper extremity leaving only a minute interstice for the
passage of the liquid between them. The jets of water issuing from
the pipes strike against these segments, and by them are broken and
spread or commingled, and the liquid flowing down the concavity of
the segments is conducted to and escapes along the surfaces of the
diaphragm. But any other convenient method may be used' for causing
the liquid to spread over the whole or the greater part of the area of
the diaphragms or sides of the heating chamber, as by conducting it
in jets against them without the intervention of the segments above
described, or the liquid may be made to flow upon or along the surfaces
of the diaphragms or sides of the heating chamber by passing it through
narrow cuts or perforations made in the base or side of a vessel or

page_text: reservoir containing the liquid, or any other convenient mode of
supplying and distributing the liquid upon or along the surfaces of the
diaphragms or sides of the heating chamber may be employed for the
purpose of my Invention.
The diaphragms which I have found advantageous in practice consist
of thin sheets of metal or wirework. I find that the spread of the
liquid over the surfaces of metal sheets is facilitated by corrugating
them transversely, such corrugation is also useful in increasing the
surface over which the liquid has to flow while exposed to the heat.
But diaphragms of textile or porous fabrics or other materials capable
of enduring the required degree of heat and of allowing the liquid to
flow freely upon or along them are also applicable to my Invention.
I use as a source of heat rows of gas jets placed in the heating
chamber in the intervals between the diaphragms by preference at or
near their lower extremity, such jets being protected by a plate of metal
or other suitable material placed on each side and by a similar plate
or shield fixed at a short distance above them for the purpose of
intercepting and diverting any of the liquid which would otherwise
drop upon them. But any other convenient mode of generating and,
applying the heat may be used so as to cause a stream of heated or
superheated air to come in contact with the liquid and the surfaces
over which it flows while passing through the heating chamber. In
some cases it may be found convenient to heat the currents of air before
they are introduced into the heating chamber instead of employing the
direct action of jets of flame to generate heated currents in the chamber
itself. The liquid when heated flows from the diaphragms into a
trough or reservoir, in which it is collected or from which it may be
conveyed away for use for baths or other purposes. The hot air after
passing through the chamber is permitted to escape through an aperture
provided for that purpose, or if it be found to retain sufficient heat to
enable it to be further utilized it may be passed through suitable pipes
fitted in or in the sides of the vessel or receptacle which receives the
licated liquid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
WADDY MAUGHAN, of 214, Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Decorative Painter, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan, Her
special licence that I, the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Waddy Maughan, my executors, administrators, and 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR THE HEATING OF WATER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan,
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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NEW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan, 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:-
Heretofore it has been the ordinary practice to heat water or other
liquids for use in baths and for other purposes by applying heat
indirectly and externally to the surfaces of vessels or pipes in which
the liquid is contained.
My Invention consists in exposing the water or other liquid intended
to be heated directly to the action of heat, the liquid being submitted

page_text: to the action of the applied heat while in the condition of thin streams
or sheets in the manner herein-after described.
The water or other liquid intended to be heated is conducted through
a suitable pipe fitted if necessary with a regulating tap or valve into
the upper part of a chamber or box or any equivalent receptacle which
acts as the heating chamber. This chamber may be conveniently made
of metal or other material capable of sufficiently resisting heat, and
may be covered externally with a substance that is a non-conductor of
heat. The chamber is fitted internally with a diaphragm or diaphragms
or their equivalents, down or along which the liquid is caused to flow
in thinly divided sheets or to trickle in numerous small streams so as
to expose a large surface of the liquid to the action of heat and so
facilitate its absorption by the liquid. The diaphragms may be made
to extend wholly or partly between the sides or between the top and
bottom of the chamber; they may be made of sheet metal or wire-
work, or in some cases woven or other fabrics may be used. In some
cases the streams or sheets of liquid may be made to flow down or along
rods, or wires, or chains, or cords, or other conductors which may be
employed as equivalents for the diaphragm conductors above referred
to and also in some cases along or down the sides of the heating
chamber. When wires are used as conductors of the liquid I have
found that galvanized iron or copper wires of guage No. 16, 17, or 18
may be advantageously used, the wires being fixed in the heating
chamber about one-fourth of an inch apart. I cause the heat to act
upon the liquid by exposing it while it is flowing down or along the
diaphragm or diaphragms, or rods, or wires, or other equivalent con-
ductors, or along the sides of the heating chamber, in thinly divided
sheets or small streams as above mentioned, and by also exposing the
surfaces over which the liquid flows to the action of a current or currents
of heated air introduced into the heating chamber through which the
liquid is made to pass, or to the direct action of flame as is hereafter
more fully described. The liquid is by this means made to absorb
heat during its passage through the apparatus with great rapidity. In
order to make the liquid spread as widely as possible and flow as evenly
as possible over the surfaces of the diaphragms or other similar con-
ductors I conduct it from the supply pipe into pipes running along
the upper edge of the diaphragms, having a line of perforations on each
side through which the liquid issues in numerous minute jets. I enclose
these perforated pipes between segments of a pipe of larger bore so

page_text: suspended that their lower edges which have free lateral motion almost
touch the opposite sides of the diaphragm at its upper extremity, having
only a minute interstice for the passage of the liquid between them.
The jets of water issuing from the pipes strike against these segments,
and by them are broken and spread or commingled, and the liquid
flowing down the concavity of the segments is conducted to and escapes
along the surfaces of the diaphragm; but any other convenient method
may be used for causing the liquid to spread over the whole or the
greater part of the area of the diaphragms or other equivalent
conductors or the sides of the heating chamber.
The liquid may
for instance be conducted in jets without the intervention of the
segments above described or the liquid may be made to flow upon or
along the surfaces of the diaphragms or other equivalent conductors
or sides of the heating chamber by passing it through narrow cuts or
perforations made in the base or side of a vessel or reservoir containing
the liquid, or any other convenient mode of supplying and distributing
the liquid upon or along the surfaces of the diaphragms or sides of the
heating chamber may be employed for the purposes of my Invention.
When I use diaphragm conductors I have found it advantageous in
practice to make them of thin sheets of metal or wirework. I find that
the spread of the liquid over the surfaces of metal sheets is facilitated
by corrugating them transversely, such corrugation is also useful in
increasing the surface over which the liquid has to flow while exposed
to the heat. But diaphragms of textile or porous fabrics or other
materials capable of enduring the required degree of heat and of allowing
the liquid to flow freely upon or along them are also applicable to my
Invention.
Where it is desired to raise the temperature of the liquid very rapidly
I have found it advisable to use wires for conducting the liquid through
the heating chamber, upon the top of which I place a trough or cistern
which I make by preference of metal sheets or plates, and I corrugate
the bottom sheet or plate and allow the liquid to issue from perforations
made in the lowest part of the corrugations so as to counteract the
tendency of the liquid to flow away from the conducting wires, which
I connect with the orifices or perforations made in the bottom of the
cistern, as above mentioned.
I use as a source of heat rows of gas jets arranged in the heating
chamber in the intervals between the diaphragms or other conductors

page_text: by preference at or near their lower extremities, and such jets may be
protected by a plate of metal or other suitable material placed on each
side and by a similar plate or shield fixed at a short distance above
them for the purpose of intercepting and diverting any of the liquid
which would otherwise drop upon them. But any other convenient
mode of generating and applying the heat may be used so as to cause
stream of heated or superheated air to come in contact with the liquid
and the surface over which it flows while passing through the heating
chamber. In some cases it may be found convenient to heat the
currents of air before they are introduced into the heating chamber
instead of employing the direct action of jets of flame to generate
heated currents in the chamber itself. The liquid when heated as
above described flows into a trough or reservoir in which it is collected,
or from which it may be conveyed away for use for baths or other
purposes. The hot air after passing through the chamber is permitted
to escape through an aperture or apertures provided for that purpose,
or if it be found to retain sufficient heat to enable it to be further
utilised it may be passed through suitable pipes fitted in or in the
sides of the vessel or receptacle which receives the heated liquid.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is
to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise parts which I have described as being suitable
for my process of heating liquids, as the same may obviously be varied
without departing substantially from my Invention; but what I claim
is, the use of the improved apparatus constructed and employed sub-
stantially as herein described for the purpose of heating liquids by
exposing them in thinly divided sheets or small streams to the direct
action of the heat applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Waddy Maughan, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
BENJAMIN WADDY MAUGHAN. (L.S.)
BENJAMIN WADDY MAUGHAN. (L.S.)