Improvements in Steam Generators and Furnaces or Burners therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators and Furnaces or Burners
therefor.
I, VICTOR HUGO ERNST, of 705 Summit Avenue, Jersey City, Hudson County,
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to construct a steam generator which shall be
simple, light and strong, and which will generate steam rapidly, without danger
of explosion, and which generally has qualities adapting it for use upon steam
motor vehicles, launches, &c.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the improved steam generator.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a face view of the water spreader;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottom, plate of the burner detached; and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the ignition cup and lighting spider, which also serves
in connection with the bottom plate as an air supply regulator.
The steam generator is, in this instance, constructed with vertical fire tubes,
and as a fuel it is preferable to use oil, the oil burner being arranged at the bottom.
of the generator.
A is the outer shell of the generator, having rivetted or otherwise secured to
its upper and lower ends the flanged top and bottom tube sheets B and B¹. Both
tube sheets are formed with corresponding annular steps b b¹, as illustrated in
Fig. 1. The tubes D are expanded or otherwise secured into the horizontal
portions of the steps of the two sheets. This annular stepped construction of the
sheets is strong and while permitting of the use of tubes of uniform length, gives
a construction of combustion chamber C well adapted for the best distribution of
the heat.
Outside the cylindrical casing A of the generator is a second casing a to form
a jacket to prevent radiation. To the top is fitted the enclosing dome E to forra
the draught box E¹. A chimney e of any suitable shape carries off the products
of combustion.
The centre of the upper tube sheet B is provided with a stuffing box piece F.
Into the underside of this is screwed or otherwise secured a holding member fin
the form of a tube which extends downward into the generator. where it has
screwed into it a tubular piece G, which may be termed the water distributor.
Through the stuffing box of the piece F, the tube f and spreader G there extends
a stem H, having below the underside of the spreader G an annular flange h. The
lower end of the stem H is guided in a foot-piece i secured to the upper side of
the lower tube sheet B¹. The stem H is threaded at H where it passes through
the upper rart of the tubular piece G, being fitted there into corresponding threads

page_text: in the distributor G, so that by turning the stem H in one direction or the other,
the flange h can be caused to approach towards or be moved away from the lower
face of the piece G. The upper end of the stem H may be squared, as shown
in Fig.
for the reception of a tool to turn it.
Between the lower part of the tubular piece G and the stem H, immediately
above the flange h, there is left an annular passage or clearance, into which opens
a lateral water supply nine J. This pipe enters through a stuffing box j fitted into
the shell A and jacket casing a.
The lower face of the tubular piece G has, immediately over the flange / of the
stem, a spreading flange g preferably greater in diameter than the diameter of
the flange h. On turning the stem H to move the flange h away from or towards
its seat, the quantity of water supplied to the generator may be thoroughly
regulated. By bringing the flange h up to the flange g, any scale formation there
may be crushed or ground off and blown out by the water pressure.
As it is the intention so to operate the generator as to convert the water into
steam, as fast as it is admitted, the flanges h and g, are so constructed as to spray the
water all over the bottom tube sheet and the lower ends of the tubes, as indicated
by arrows in the drawing. For this purpose it is preferable to form on the lower
face of the flange 9 radiating grooves g, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and on
the upper face of the flange h, similar but shorter grooves 2, Fig. 1, so as to get
a thorough spraying effect, as the arrows will indicate.
The steam may be taken off from the generator at any suitable point, as for
instance, as indicated by the dotted lines at X, Fig. 1.
Oil being the fuel preferred to be used, the furnace is in the form of a burner,
which is fitted to the lower end of the generator through the medium of the flanged
ring K. This burner comprises an annular vaporizing chamber L, with a central
distributing plate M, below which is the burner jet N controlled by the screwed
needle valve O. This burner jet N is part of a transverse pipe N', into and
through which oil passes from the inlet n². This transverse pipe N communicates
by the upright branches n with the underside of the annular vaporizing chamber L.
To the underside of the burner is secured, in any suitable manner, as by means of
headed screws s entering downward extensions of the branches n, a bottom plate S,
Figs. 1 and 4, with the central opening s¹ and radial openings s³. It is preferable
to form the branches n separate from the cross pipe N1, and to provide the latter
with enlargements n¹ to fit over the branches, the passages being made in the parts
accordingly. Flanges s on the bottom plate S fit over the lower ends of the
branches n and hold the parts together. A ring or flange ³ closes at the side the
space between the bottom plate S and the annular vaporizing chamber L.
The central opening a¹ in the bottom plate S is closed by the ignition cup P,
secured to or forming part of a spider P₁ provided with openings pl corresponding
with the openings in the bottom plate. By turning this ignition cup and spider,
the openings p₁ and s2 may be made to register more or less, to admit more or less
air to the burner, or may be turned wholly out of register so as to cut off all the
supply of air, as will be readily understood. The spider P¹ has between the open-
ings radial gutters 72 extending from the central cup P for the oil.
The stem of the valve O passes down through a stuffing box o' and has a squared
head outside the stuffing box, and the bottom of the ignition cup P is provided
with a screw plug p, upon removing which the valve stem O may be adjusted
to any desired position to regulate the flame.
Lugs m, Figs. 1 and 2, retain the spreading plate M in position, notches m¹
being provided in the edge of the plate M to pass the lugs, but on turning the
plate to bring the notches out of register with the lugs, as shown in Fig. 2, the
lugs will hold the plate in position. The edge of the spreading plate resting upon
the inner edge of the annular vaporizing chamber has radial slits cut in it, as
shown in Fig. 1, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, for the thorough distri-
bution of the gas flame into the combustion chamber C of the generator.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A steam generator provided with fire-tubes, a bottom tube sheet with annular
steps highest at the centre and forming the top of the combustion chamber, in
combination with a water feed spreader adapted to spray the water over the said
tube sheet and the ends of the tubes all substantially as described.
2. A steam generator provided with fire tubes, a bottom tube sheet with annular
steps highest at the centre and forming the top of the combustion chamber,
substantially as described.
3. A steam generator provided with fire tubes, and tube sheets at opposite ends
with annular steps the lower tube sheet forming the top of the combustion
chamber, substantially as described.
4. A steam generator having a holding member extending from the upper tube
sheet with a flanged spreader at its lower end, an adjustable stem provided with
co-operating flange, and means for supplying water to the spreader, substantially
as described.
5. A steam generator, having a holding member extending from the upper
tube sheet with a threaded and flanged spreader at its lower end, a threaded stem
passing through the spreader and provided with a co-operating flange, means
for supplying water to the spreader and a guide step for the stem on the lower tube
sheet, substantially as described.
6. A steam generator having a water supply pipe and a spreader with a flange
having radial grooves, and an adjustable stem provided with a co-operating flange,
substantially as described.
7. A generator having an oil burner provided with an annular vaporizing
chamber, a transverse oil pipe and branches leading to the vaporizing chamber
and a central needle valve in said transverse pipe, substantially as described and
as illustrated in the drawings.
8. A generator having an oil burner with an annular vaporizing chamber in
combination with an oil supply pipe therefor and a needle valve, a bottom plate
with openings and an ignition cup and spider, also having corresponding openings
as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 10th day of August 1807
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.