IMPROVEMENTS GENERATORS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Mills, of Barnes, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, and Richard Mills, of Upper Berkeley Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
GENERATORS."
IN STEAM
Sealed the 28th March 1877, and dated the 14th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mills and Richard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1876.
THOMAS MILLS, of Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and RICHARD
MILLS, of Upper Berkeley Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman. " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS."
The object of this Invention is to generate steam in as quick, simple, safe, and
efficacious a manner as possible, and at the same time to reduce the weight and
dimensions of the boiler or generator to a minimum. To this end we construct a
wall of tubes of any suitable diameters, and placed so close together as to prevent
as much as possible the escape of the heated gases from the furnace; or the tubes
may be placed a short distance apart so as to allow the heated gases to play around
them, the whole arrangement of tubes being confined within an outer covering of
sheet iron or other suitable material so as to prevent the escape of the heated gases
into the outer atmosphere.
At a short distance below the level of the water line may be placed one or more
baffle plates for the purpose of spreading the flames or heated gases from the furnace,
and at the same time creating better combustion and to assist in consuming the
smoke. Above the baffle plate is a second plate serving as a foundation for the
funnel, and at the same time to prevent the flames and heated gases from the
furnace coming into contact with the boiler tubes above the water line, thereby
materially conducing the durability of the generator. Above the funnel plate is
a chamber which may be utilized as an extra space into which a vessel or tubes
may be introduced for the purpose of gaining greater steain space should such
storage room be required. The tubes which form the wall of the generator should
be attached at their two extremities to a tube pipe enclosed space which should be
of the same form as the shape of the boiler, whether round, square, oval, or oblong.
[Price 6d.]

page_text: In the event of the tubes being placed vertically a small tube may be introduced
into the larger tubes for the purpose of carrying the steam downwards through the
water space of the large tube into a steam space or receiver placed at the lower end
of the generator.
In order to create a good circulation and at the same time to greatly increase the
heating surface, small tubes are placed in any suitable position on the inner wall of
the generator. These tubes are preferably made to form a loop from the lower to
the upper part of one of the main tubes, but each end of the small tubes may be
attached to a different main tube. The positions and directions of these small tubes
may be infinitively varied according to circumstances and the requirements of the
generator.
In order to form the furnace door, two, three, or more of the main tubes should
be shortened and connected by means of smaller pipes to the adjoining tubes or to
the lower tube forming the mud space so as to leave an opening sufficiently large to
admit of stoking; by this means a furnace door of any suitable size may be placed
in almost any part of the generator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Mills and Richard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1877.
THOMAS MILLS, of Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and RICHARD
MILLS, of Upper Berkeley Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS."
The object of this Invention of "Improvements in Steam Generators" is to
generate steam in as quick, simple, safe, and efficacious a manner as possible, and at
the same time to reduce the weight and dimensions of the boiler or generator to a
minimum. To this end we construct a wall of vertical tubes of any suitable
diameters, and arrange them in such a manner as to form a chamber of any desired
shape. These tubes are placed close together so as to prevent as much as possible
the escape of the heated gases from the furnace between them. The whole arrange-
ment of tubes is confined within an outer covering or casing of sheet iron or other
suitable material so as to confine the heated gases and prevent their escape into the
outer atmosphere.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a front elevation of a vertical
tubular boiler constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of
the same; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2. The
walls of the boiler are composed of the large vertical tubes a, a, which are placed
close together, as shown in the Drawing, and are enclosed within a sheet iron
casing b, b. The tubes a, a, are provided at both ends with short tubes of smaller
diameter, whereby they are connected at bottom with horizontal tubes c, c, into
which the water to supply the boiler is fed. As the tubes c are connected together
they will also form a mud space below the level of the grate bars d, d. The upper
ends of the tubes a, a, are connected by similar short tubes with the horizontal
tubes e, e, which being connected together form one steam space.
At a short distance below the level of the water line is placed a baffle plate f for
the purpose of spreading the flames or heated gases from the furnace, and at the
same time creating better combustion, and to assist in consuming the smoke.
Above the baffle plate f is a second plate g¹ serving as a foundation for the funnel g,
and at the same time to prevent the flames and heated gases from the furnace from
coming into contact with the steam tubes e and with those parts of the boiler tubes
which are above the water line. This arrangement materially conduces to the
durability of the generator. Above the funnel plate g¹ is a chamber h which may
be utilized as an extra space, into which a vessel or tubes may be introduced if

page_text: desired for the purpose of gaining greater steam space should such storage room be
required.
În order to create a good circulation of the water, and at the same time to greatly
increase the heating surface of the boiler, small tubes i, i, are attached to some of
the vertical tubes a and arranged in any suitable position on the inner walls of the
generator. These tubes are preferably made to form a loop from the lower to the
The two ends of each of the bent tubes
upper part of certain of the main tubes a.
i, i, may be connected with the same main tube a, but each end of the small tubes
i, i, may if preferred be attached to a different main tube. The positions and
directions of these small tubes may be infinitely varied according to circumstances
and the requirements of the generator.
In order to forin the furnace door as at j, Figures 1 and 2, two, three, or more of
the main tubes a, a, should be shortened and connected by means of smaller pipes
a', a', Figures 1 and 2, to the adjoining tubes a, or to the lower tube c forming the
mud space so as to leave an opening sufficiently large to admit of stoking. By this
means a furnace door of any suitable size may be placed in almost any part of the
generator.
It will be seen that the baffle plate f is supported by the horizontal bent tubes
i, i, but a sufficient space is left all round to allow the heated gases from the fire-
place below to pass to the chimney g. If additional steam power be required, two,
four, or more of these generators may be arranged side by side, and if desired they
may be connected together so as to form one large generator.
If desired my improved steam generators may be constructed of a cylindrical
form, as shewn in Sheet II., in which Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the boiler; and
Fig. 5, a horizontal section of the same taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 4. As the letters
of reference in these Figures are similar to those marked on corresponding parts in
Shect I., it will not be necessary to give any detailed description of this cylindrical
form of generator, further than to say that in this instance each of the vertical
water tubes a, a, is provided with a small bent or curved tube i for the purpose of
promoting circulation, and all these bent tubes i extend radially towards the centre,
leaving a circular central space up through which the heated gases pass and strike
against the under side of the baffle plate ƒ which deflects them sideways among the
projecting bent tubes i.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Generators,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as
the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid, forming the walls of
steam generators of a number of vertical water tubes placed close together, and con-
nected by their upper ends to a cominon steam space, and by their lower ends to a
common water or mud space, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Mills, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
RICHARD MILLS. (L.S.)