IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS, AND IN APPARATUS USED THERE- WITH FOR ECONOMISING HEAT, CONDENSING STEAM, AND SATURATING HEATED AIR
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Wadsworth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
January 1870.
I, JAMES WADSWORTH, of the City of Manchester, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS, AND IN APPARATUS USED THERE-
WITH FOR ECONOMISING HEAT, CONDENSING STEAM, AND SATURATING HEATED AIR,”
to be as follows :—
The first part of this Invention consists in constructing a steam or
hot water boiler having a large heating surface, for which purpose I
construct a cast metal steam generator, the lower part of which consists
of a series of parallel longitudinal projections from the body of the boiler
downwards, the two outside projections forming the outside walls of the
furnace. These projections are internally subdivided into tubular or
cellular spaces through which the water circulates up and down. These
tubular or cellular spaces open at the bottom end into a longitudinal
passage. The furnace is situated between the two outer projections

page_text: herein-before mentioned and at one end of the boiler, and the flame and
products of combustion from the furnace pass between the longitudinal
projections, thereby heating them in passing to the chimney. A series
of these steam generators may be placed in a line one after another, and
be connected together to form the flue, and thus to effectually absorb
the heat given off by the furnace.
A series of these generators may be applied to the flue of any existing
boiler or furnace, thereby utilizing the heat. Instead of making the
boiler of cast metal and subdividing the parallel longitudinal projections
into tubular or cellular divisions they may be made of sheet metal or of
boiler plate, and be entirely hollow for heating liquids or condensing
steam. This form of apparatus is applicable for utilizing the heat.from
ordinary fire-places and for increasing the heating surface of stoves.
Secondly. This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for
condensing steam or saturating heated air, and for collecting and pro-
venting the escape of particles of fire and cinders passing from
Jocomotive or other furnaces, and consists in the use and application of
a cistern or vessel containing water when necessary, in which revolves
a drum formed of a series of concentric perforated sheet metal cylinders
of various diameters, the lower part of these cylinders revolving in water,
the steam, heated air, or products from the locomotive or other furnace
being admitted into the innermost cylinder through a hollow trunnion
or bearing, and escaping through the perforations to the outside of the
outer drum, and from thence by a pipe to the engine or wherever
required. Instead of the drum being formed of concentric perforated
cylinders a voluted perforated sheet of metal may constitute the drum
and revolve in the same manner, the advantage being that any solid
matter would eventually fall out into the cistern. This apparatus is
especially useful for saturating heated air used in hot air and marine
engines, in which case the heated air will be passed through the aforesaid
drum in its passage to the engine.
Thirdly. I purpose to construct a perpendicular or any suitable shaped
air-tight furnace, and to support combustion by forcing the air through
such furnace by means of an apparatus which I construct similar to a
gasometer with suitable valves, but working in mercury instead of water;
or a double-acting force pump may be used to force the air through the
fire. In this arrangement all the heated air and gases pass through.

page_text: the aforesaid saturating apparatus, thus saturating and cleansing the
products of combustion in their passage to the engine; or a modification
of the aforesaid generator may be used for heating the air for hot air
engines.