AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILER
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Vincent Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1871.-A communication from abroad by Jacob
Lorillard, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM BOILER," to be as follows:-
The object.of this Invention is so to construct a steam boiler that the
maximum effect of fuel may be obtained in the generation of steam, and
with this view the vertical tubular style of boiler is adopted, which offers
advantages over horizontal boilers in regard to the draft, the combustion
and economy of fuel, the weight, and the space occupied, all of which
are features of great importance in steam boilers, but especially in
marine boilers, for which service the boiler under consideration is more
particularly designed. The shell of the boiler is cylindrical, and con-
stitutes with an inner and concentric shell an annular water space,

page_text: extending from the ash-pit to the top of the fire chamber. The space
circumscribed by the annular water space contains fire-places, an
annular fire chamber, tubular flues, and water space surrounding them;
also a central combustion chamber, which is formed by an inverted
hollow conical or other shaped diaphragm conjoined to the bottom tube
plate of the tubular flues. A vertical hollow wall running through the
centre of the boiler forms a vertical water space which connects the hollow
diaphragm at its under side with the bottom water space of the boiler,
and the upper part of this hollow diaphragm connects with the central
water space of the boiler. This central water space contains the vertical
tubular flues. The central group of tubular flues extends from the
bottom tube plate upwards to a central chimney flue, which is
surrounded by water and steam space. The tube plate to which the
top of these tubes is connected stands sufficiently high above the
annular fire chamber and below the water level to allow of the free
circulation upwards of the water and steam from the central water space
to the water and steam space surrounding the chimney flue. The other
tubular flues are much shorter and serve to connect the annular fire
chamber with the central combustion chamber.. The fire-places connect
with the annular fire chamber by means of an annular fluc external of
the central water space, and the flame and gases of combustion rising
from the fire-places pass through this annular flue into the chamber
above, and then descend through the short tubular flues into the central
combustion chamber. The gases of combustion then pass upwards
through the central group of tubular flues to the chimney and thence
escape. A man-hole. is provided to give access to the fire chamber, and
another man-hole is provided extending from the combustion chamber
to the outer shell of the boiler to provide access to the interior thereof,
and this is surrounded by a water space, which connects the hollow
diaphragm with the annular water space formed by the inner and outer
shells. Within this space is a cylindrical partition extending from near
the top of the fire chamber to the fire-place. This partition is introduced
to facilitate the circulation of the water in the annular space.