AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATOR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
GENERATOR." A Communication from abroad by George Gould, of Troy,
in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 29th March 1867, and dated the 19th January 1967.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th January 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughstman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM GENERATOR," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a method of generating steam from jets of water
introduced into a heated vessel, the main object being to regulate the supply
of the water to be injected by the pressure of the steam generated.
This Invention secures three important advantages in regard to steam
power; first, perfect safety against boiler explosions; second, a saving of fuel
compared with ordinary boilers in generating the same amount of steam;
Price 8d.1

page_text: and, thirdly, a saving of much bulk, weight, and cost as compared with
ordinary steam boilers.
The generator may be made of cast iron of a cylindrical form, the bottom
being cast therewith and in the torm of a hollow cone the better to resist the
pressure inside and to give a greater extent of fire surface.
This generator
is provided with a manhole, and is enclosed in a metal case lined with fire-
brick and constituting the furnace; this casing provides a flue space all
around the outside of the generator and extending over the top thereof to the
exit pipe or chimney. A steam pipe provided in the usual manner with a
safety valve conducts off the steam from the generator, and from its lower
part a pipe extends to the inside of a pressure valve in order that the pressure
of steam in the generator may be exerted on the valve with a view to regulate
the admission of water to the generator. The kind of valve preferred for
this purpose is a flexible diaphragm of vulcanized india-rubber, the edges of
which are secured by the rim of a cap plate; the central part of the dia-
phragm is secured to a washer at the lower end of a rod, hinged to a lever,
one end of which turns on a fulcrum pin in a standard, the other end
extending though a mortise in a second standard; on the top of this second
standard is mounted a weighted lever which near its fulcrum is connected
by a link to the pressure valve lever. The weighted lever carries at its
inner end a sector rack which takes into a pinion on the spindle of the
water supply valve. Near to the pressure valve there is a water vessel
into which water is forced by any suitable pump or injector; this
vessel is provided at top with an auxiliary vessel having an escape aper-
ture governed by a valve and weighted lever to permit of the escape of surplus
of water, and the weight on this valve should be set to a pressure greater
than the maximum pressure to which the steam is to be generated that the
water from the said vessel may be injected into the generator against the
pressure of the steam; from the water vessel a supply pipe extends to the
inside of the generator, and from this pipe inside of the generator one or
more branches extend upward to discharge the water in a jet or jets to strike
against a spherical surface to scatter it like spray. In this supply pipe the
turning valve which carries the pinion before mentioned is fitted; when
therefore, the pressure valve is lifted by the pressure of the steam in the
generator the tail end of the weighted lever is raised, which depresses the end
having the sector rack, and this turns and closes the valve in the water
supply pipe whenever the pressure of the steam in the generator falls below
the pressure to which the weight on the lever has been sot; this weight pre-

page_text: ponderates over the pressure of the steam against the under face of the dia-
phragm valve, the tail end of the lever is thereby depressed, and the sector
rack is caused to open the supply valve and per.nit water to be injected into
the generator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that 1, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, iny 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, aud vend, within..
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man. an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
GENERATOR," being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent."
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a method of generating steam from jets of water

page_text: introduced into a heated vessel, the main object being to regulate the supply
of the water to be injected by the pressure of the steam generated.
This Invention secures three important advantages in regard to steam
power; first, perfect safety against boiler explosions; second, a saving of
fuel compared with ordinary boilers in generating the same amount of steam;
and, thirdly, a saving of much bulk, weight, and cost as compared with
ordinary steam boilers.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the gene-
rator; Fig. 2 is an outside view of the generator entire; Fig. 3 is a top or
plan view with the cap of the casing reinoved, and shewing the frame which
supports the water tank and the pressure valve; and Fig. 4 is a sectional
elevation of the water chamber. Similar letters and figures indicate corre-
sponding parts in the several Figures.
A, represents the generator, which may be made of cast iron of a cylin-
drical form, the bottom A¹ of which cast therewith, and which is the crown
sheet of the furnace is best made in the form of a cone the better to resist the
pressure inside, and to give a greater extent of fire surface; the top of this
generator provided with a manhole G is secured to the upper edge by screw
bolts or other suitable means; the generator is cast with lugs projecting from
the outer cylindrical surface to receive bolts l, by means of which the outer
casing B is secured; the outer casing B is made in sections, as represented by
A2, A2, A2, A3, in Fig. 2, fitted together with lugs, each section being lined
inside with fire-brick C or other refractory substance which is a bad conductor
of caloric to form a flue space D all around the outside of the generator, and
extending over the top thereof to the exit EI; the lower section of the casing B
rests at a' on the fire-box 6', provided with grate bars and a fire-door F of
any suitable construction; the generator is provided with a pipe K, which is
to be fitted in the usual manner with a safety valve not necessary to be repre-
sented. From the lower part of the generator a pipe L extends to the inside
of what is denominated the pressure valve, that the pressure of steam in the
generator may be exerted on the said valve with a view to regulate the admis
sion of water to the generator by the pressure of steam therein. The valve
preferred for this purpose consists of a flexible diaphragm P of vulcanized
india-rubber or equivalent substance, the edges of which are secured at 62 by
the rim of a cap plate A³. The central part of the diaphragm is secured to a
washer Qat the lower end of a rod R hinged to a lever S, one end of which
turns on a fulcrum pin in a standard, the other end extending through a slo
in a standard d, the slot at top and bottom being provided with bumpers c, c

page_text: ocheck the motions of the said lever S and the diaphragm valve I connected
herewith. Near to the pressure valve there is a water vessel B2, into which
water is forced through a pipe W by any suitable pump or injector; this
essel is provided at top with an auxiliary vessel q, which has an escape aper-
ure governed by a valve and weighted lever Z to permit of the escape of
surplus water, and the weight on this valve should be set to a pressure greater
han the maximum pressure to which the steam is to be generated that the
water from the said vessel may be injected into the generator against the
pressure of the steam. From the water vessel B' a pipe V extends to the
inside of the generator A, and from this pipe inside of the generator one or
more branches extend upward to discharge the water into a jet or jets to
In the pipe V
strike against a spherical surface N to scatter it like spray.
there is a turning valve Y, the arbor of which is cogged to engage the cogs of
a sector rack X on the end of a lever T, which turns on a fulcrum pin d¹ on
the standard d; this lever T is linked with the lever S of the pressure valve,
so that when the pressure valve is lifted by the pressure of the steam in the
generator the tail end of the lever T is raised, which depresses the end having
the cogged sector X, and this turns and closes the valve Y to stop the supply
of water. On the tail end of the lover T there is an adjustable weight w,
which can be set to make any desired pressure on the pressure valve P, and
from this it follows that whenever the pressure of the steam in the generator
falls below the pressure to which the weight w on the lever T has been set,
this weight preponderates over the pressure of the steam against the under face
of the diaphragm valve, the tail end of the lever Tis thereby depressed, and
the sector rack X elevated, which opens the valve Y and permits water to be
injected into the generator. In the way indicated water is injected into the
highly heated generator, and by the heat flashed into steam, and so soon as
the steam so generated exceeds the pressure to which the weight on the
lever T has been set the supply of water is arrested, until by the consumption
of steam the pressure is reduced in the generator below the required pressure,
then the pressure valve permits the weight w to operate the lever T, and close
the valve Y, and thus arrest the supply of water; the valve Y will remain
closed until the pressure of the steam is sufficiently increased to lift the
diaphragm, the lever T will thus act as before, and shut off the supply of
water.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Steam Generator" as communicated to me from abroad, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-

page_text: stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the com-
bination of the means substantially as herein described for generating the
steam, with the means substantially as herein described for controlling the
introduction of the water into the generator.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATP,
66, Chancery Lane.
A.
(L.S.)