IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE- MENT OF CIRCULATING TUBULAR BOILERS AND OF CIRCULATING CHAMBERS, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE LATTER TO MARINE AND OTHER BOILERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Howland, of Folkestone, in the County of Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF CIRCULATING TUBULAR BOILERS AND OF CIRCULATING CHAMBERS,
AND THE APPLICATION OF THE LATTER TO MARINE AND OTHER BOILERS."
Sealed the 4th December 1877, and dated the 27th September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Howland at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1877.
RICHARD HOWLAND, of Folkestone, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF CIRCULATING TUBULAR BOILERS AND
OF CIRCULATING CHAMBERS, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE LATTER TO MARINE AND
OTHER BOILERS."
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement of
circulating tubular boilers for marine, locomotive, and other purposes, and also of
circulating chambers applicable to boilers constructed in accordance with this
Invention, and also to Cornish and other boilers.
Boilers constructed according to this Invention possess great advaantages over
tubular boilers as ordinarily constructed, for instance, a great saving in fuel is
effected, the heat is more perfectly utilised, a more perfect combustion of the smoke
and gases emanating from the furnaces is effected, thus diminishing the amount of
smoke emitted from the shaft or flue, and greatly reducing the amount of deposits
on the interior of the same, and in the case of locomotives the emission of red hot
cinders from the funnel is partially if not entirely avoided, a more perfect circulation
of the water is produced, and in many constructions of stationary engines the
employment of the greater part of the surrounding brickwork now used is rendered

page_text: unnecessary.
The boilers are also more simple and economical in construction as
those compared with at present in use.
In the following description, for the purpose of example, I have alluded to a
certain number of tubes or pipes as being employed, but I do not intend to confine
or limit myself to such number, as any desired or convenient number of tubes may
be employed, and they may be constructed of any suitable or convenient form or
size, as will be well understood.
I will now describe my Invention as applied to stationary or marine boilers.
The products of combustion are conducted from the furnace, which is of the ordinary
construction, by three tubes running horizontally, or nearly so, from the back of
the furnace through the water space to the back of the boiler, where they open into
a chamber, on reaching which they expand and enter into a state of combustion.
This chamber, which I term a combustion chamber, has in connection therewith
another chamber which I term the circulating chamber. On combustion taking
place the heat emitted thereby is transmitted to the water in the circulating
chamber, and increases the circulation thereof, the water passing to or from the
boiler to the last-mentioned chamber through pipes which are connected with the
upper and lower parts thereof. On passing through the before-mentioned com-
bustion chamber the cinders and dust carried by the draft are deposited on the
bottom thereof, whence they can easily be extracted. The products of combustion
are then carried through tubes placed parallel to those herein-before mentioned, to a
second combustion chamber situated within the interior of the water space at the
furnace end of the boiler, and strengthened on the outside by flanges or ribs of angle
iron, or other suitable contrivances. In this chamber the fumes are again brought
in a state of combustion, such combustion being assisted by hot air, which is
conducted by means of a pipe or pipes from the furnace to the upper part of the
chamber, which is also provided with suitable openings for the extraction of any
cinders or dust which may become deposited. If desired the last-mentioned
combustion chamber may be dispensed with, and the flues made to open into a space
below the furnace and of the boiler. From the second combustion chamber the
fumes are conducted by tubes through the lower part of the water space, through
the bottom of the boiler into and along a flue between the bottom of the latter and
the brickwork, and then pass by means of suitable channels provided in the brick-
work to the main flue or shaft.
If desired the circulating chamber and the combustion chamber in connection
therewith may be dispensed witb, and the tubes leading to the latter, on reaching the
end of the boiler, may communicate with a combustion chamber contained in the
boiler, or be bent round and made to conduct the products of combustion to the
second combustion chamber.
In constructing the boilers of locomotive engines according to this Invention, the
products of combustion are carried from the back of the furnace through the length
of the water space, by means of tubes, by preference twenty or twenty-two in
number, and arranged in two rows, to the combustion chamber in connection with
the circulating chamber, and thence by means of a similar number and arrangement
of tubes to the second combustion chamber, whence they are conducted to the flue or
funnel by three pipes. In passing through the combustion chambers the cinders
.carried along by the draft become deposited in the lower part of such chambers, and
can be removed as herein-before described.
In order to apply that part of my said Invention which relates to circulating
chambers to Cornish boilers, the products of combustion are conducted from the flue
which passes through the boiler from the furnace, by pipes which open into the flues
in the brickwork on both sides of the boiler, from which flues they pass into a
flue running underneath the boiler to the main flue or shaft. The circulating
chamber is connected by pipes, as herein-before described, with the back part of
the boiler, and encloses the end of the boiler flue and the pipes connected therewith,
the water thus becomes heated, and circulation takes place. One great advantage

page_text: of the last-described arrangement is that the great absorption of heat by the brick-
work is entirely avoided, such heat being utilised in the production of steam.
The modifications necessary for adapting this Invention to other boilers will be
well understood by persons conversant with such apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent fled by
the said Richard Howland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th March
1878.
RICHARD HOWLAND, of Folkestone, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF CIRCULATING TUBULAR BOILERS AND
OF CIRCULATING CHAMBERS, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE LATTER. TO MARINE
AND OTHER BOILERS."
My said Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement
of circulating tubular boilers for marine, locomotive, and other purposes, and also of
circulating chambers applicable to boilers constructed in accordance with this
Invention, and also to Cornish and other boilers.
Boilers constructed according to iny said Invention possess great advantages over
tubular boilers as ordinarily constructed, for instance, a great saving in fuel is
effected, the heat is more perfectly utilised, and a moro perfect combustion of the
smoke and gases emanating from the furnace is effected, thus diminishing the
amount of smoke emitted from the shaft or flue, and greatly reducing the amount
of deposits on the interior of the same, and in the case of locomotives the emis-
sion of red hot cinders from the funnel is partially, if not entirely, avoided, a more
perfect circulation of the water is produced, and in the construction of stationary
boilers, the employment of the greater part of the surrounding brickwork now used
is rendered unnecessary. The boilers are also more simple and economical in con-
struction as compared with many tubular boilers at present in use.
In the following description, for the purpose of example, I have alluded to a
certain number of tubes or pipes as being employed, but I do not intend to confine
or limit myself to such number, as any desired or convenient number of tubes or
pipes may be employed, and they may be constructed of any suitable or conve-
nient form or size, as will be well understood.
I will now describe my Invention as applied to stationary boilers. The products
of combustion are conducted from the furnace, which is of the ordinary construction,
by three tubes running horizontally, or nearly so, from the back of the furnace
through the water space to the back of the boiler, where they open into a chamber,
on reaching which they expand and enter into a state of combustion. This chamber,
which I term a combustion chamber, has in connection therewith another chamber
which I term the circulating chamber. On combustion taking place the heat
emitted thereby is transmitted to the water in the circulating chamber, and increases
the circulation thereof, the water passing to or from the boiler to the last-mentioned
chamber through pipes which are connected with the upper and lower parts thereof.
On passing through the before-mentioned combustion chamber, the cinders and dust
carried by the draft are deposited on the bottom thereof, whence they can easily be
extracted. The products of combustion are then carried through tubes placed

page_text: parallel to those herein-before mentioned, to a second combustion chamber situated
within the interior of the water space, at the furnace end of the boiler, and
strengthened on the outside by flanges or ribs of angle iron, on other suitable con-
trivances. In this chamber the fumes are again brought into a state of combustion,
such combustion being assisted by hot air, which is conducted by means of a pipe
or pipes from the furnace to the chamber, which is also provided with suitable
openings for the extraction of any cinders or dust which may become deposited.
If desired the last-mentioned combustion chamber may be dispensed with, and the
tubes or pipes made to open into a space below the furnace end of the boiler. From
the second combustion chamber the fumes are conducted by tubes through the lower
part of the water space, through the bottom of the boiler, into and along a flue
between the bottom of the latter and the brickwork, and then pass by means
of suitable channels provided in the brickwork to the main flue or shaft.
For marine boilers [for large vessels the products are conveyed from the
combustion chamber situated at the back of the boiler by means of ordinary
pipes or tubes above the furnace, through the front of the boiler into a second
combustion chainber, and from thence by a similar number of pipes or tubes trough
the water space to the back of the boiler into a third combustion chamber, or to the
smoke box in connection with the furnace. If. desired the front and back of the
boiler may be boxed inwards within the water space, and the circulating chambers
so arranged as to stand in a line, or nearly in a line with the outer shell of the
boiler. I should here observe that the smoke box may be placed at the back of the
boiler, and the upper pipes or tubes dispensed with.
If desired the circulating chamber and the combustion chamber in connection
therewith may be dispensed with, and the tubes leading to the latter on reaching
the end of the boiler may communicate with a combustion chamber contained in the
boiler, or be bent round and made to conduct the products of combustion to the
second combustion chamber.
In constructing locomotive boilers according to my said Invention the products
of combustion are carried from the back of the furnace through the length of the
water space by means of tubes to the combustion chamber, in connection with the
circulating chamber, and thence by means of a similar number and arrangement of
tubes to the second combustion chamber, whence they are conducted to the flue or
funnel. In passing through the combustion chambers the cinders carried along by
the draft become deposited in the lower part of such chambers, and can be removed
as herein-before described.
In order to apply that part of my said Invention which relates to circulating
chambers to Cornish and other boilers, the products of combustion are conducted
from the flue, which passes through the boiler from the furnace, by pipes enclosed
in the circulating chamber, which opens into the ordinary flues in the brickwork on
both sides of the boiler, from which flues they pass into the flue running underneath
the boiler to the main flue or shaft. The circulating chamber is connected by pipes
as herein-before described, with the back part of the boiler, and encloses the end of
the boiler and the pipes connected therewith, the water thus becomes heated, and
sirculation takes place. One great advantage of the last-described arrangement is
that the great absorption of heat by the brickwork is entirely avoided, such heat
being utilized in the production of steam.
The modifications necessary for adapting this Invention to other boilers will be
well understood by persons conversant with such apparatus.
In the annexed Drawings,-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a boiler constructed in accordance with my
said Invention, and Figure 2 a ground plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, with the fire-door and foot plate removed.
Figure 4 is a section through the line B, B, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a back elevation with the circulating chamber removed, and Figure G
is a back elevation.
Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, I would

page_text: observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim
As constituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the combination and arrangement
of parts and
mechanism in the construction and arrangement of circulating tubular boilers, and
of circulating chambers, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described
and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Howland, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TAM
RICHARD HOWLAND. (L.B.)