IMPROVE MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Foster, of Beeston, in the County of
Nottingham, Horticultural Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS."
Sealed the 17th August 1869, and dated the 20th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Foster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th February 1869.
I, ROBERT FOSTER, of Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, Horti-
cultural Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Four separate castings are connected together by pipes and flues for
the fire and its products. Upon brickwork is placed a number of fire-
bars, and upon this brickwork are metal bearers upon which stand
three separate hollow castings; two castings are placed parallel with
the fire-bars and stand upon the bearers, one of their ends being placed
close to the casting or framing to which the furnace door is hung;
this frame or casting has a door to close the front of the ash-pit below

page_text: the fire-bars; the other ends of the two parallel castings lie close to
one side of a third casting which forms the back and has its top side
somewhat higher than the tops of the two parallel castings. This back
casting is connected at each end by pipes with the two parallel castings,
and upon the top of it and the parallel castings is placed and supported
by them a further hollow casting saddle or otherwise shaped in such
manner that the sides meet and lie upon the tops of the side castings
and the back casting. The top casting is connected by pipes with the
upper ends of the back casting, and the parallel castings are connected
by pipes with the sides of the saddle or otherwise shaped casting, near
the bottom of the sides of which and lying between its sides is a plate
which forms part of or upon which are placed two flues extending only
to a portion of the length of the saddle or otherwise shaped casting.
These castings when in position present a large heating surface. The
flames or hot air from the fire on the fire-bars between the parallel
castings will pass between them until they meet the back casting, where
they will have an upward direction past the inner end of the plate at
the lower end of the sides of the saddle or otherwise shaped casting,
where they will divide and pass through the two flues towards the front
of the apparatus; they will then turn upwards and will pass over the two
flues and return to the chimney or flue; thus the hot air will pass thrice
the length of the parallel castings before escaping to the flue or chimney.
The two flues are stopped short of the front of the apparatus to enable
the hot air to return over the flues to the chimney; the front end of the
saddle or otherwise shaped casting has a door which can be opened for
the purpose of cleansing the said flues. The water to be heated is fed
into the back casting at the back thereof by pipès, and after circulating
through the whole of the four hollow castings it escapes when heated
at the top of the saddle or otherwise shaped casting and will return to
the boiler through the pipes at the lower part of the back of the back
casting.
The main novelty consists in arranging the boiler in parts so as to
enclose the fire and obtain an extension of flue, which traverses the
apparatus thrice prior to its exit to the chimney, and in not exposing
the pipes and their connections to the fire.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Foster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FOSTER, of Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, Horticultural Builder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Foster, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Foster, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Foster, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Foster, 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 monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Foster, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
Four separate castings are connected together by pipes, which castings
also fonn the flues for the fire and its products. Upon brickwork is
a number of fire-bars, and upon this brickwork are secured a number
of metal bearers upon which stand three separate hollow castings; two
of these castings are placed parallel with the fire-bars and stand upon
the bearers, one of their ends being placed close to the casting or

page_text: framing to which the furnace door is hung; this frame or casting has
a door to close the front of the ash-pit below the fire-bars; the other
ends of the two parallel castings lie close to one side of a third casting
which forms the back and has its top side somewhat higher than the
tops of the two parallel castings. This back casting is connected at
each end by pipes with the two parallel castings, and upon the top
of it and the parallel castings is placed and supported by them a further
hollow casting which is saddle or otherwise shaped, but its shape
should be such that the sides thereof will meet and lie upon the tops
of the side castings and the back casting before mentioned. The
top casting is connected by pipes with the upper ends of the back
casting, and the parallel castings are also connected by pipes with the
sides of the saddle or otherwise shaped casting. Near the bottom of
the sides of the saddle-shaped or otherwise shaped casting and lying
between its sides is a plate which forms part of or upon which are
placed two flues, these flues extending only to a portion of the length
of the saddle-shaped or otherwise shaped casting; these castings when
placed in position will present a large amount of heating surface.
The flames or hot air proceeding from the fuel placed on the fire-bars
between the parallel castings will pass between them until they meet
the back casting, where they will have an upward direction past the
inner end of the plate at the lower end of the sides of the saddle or
otherwise shaped casting, where they will divide and pass through
the two flues towards the front of the apparatus; they will then turn
upwards and will pass over the two flues and return to the chimney
or flue; thus the hot air will pass thrice the length of the parallel
castings before escaping to the flue or chimney. The two flues are
stopped short of the front of the apparatus so that the hot air may
return over the flues to the chimney. The front end of the saddle-
shaped or otherwise shaped casting is opened and closed with a door
which can be opened for the purpose of cleansing the said flues. The
water to be heated is fed into the back casting at the back thereof by
pipes, and after circulating through the whole of the four hollow
castings it escapes when heated at the top of the saddle or otherwise
shaped casting and will return to the boiler through the pipes at the
lower part of the back of the back casting,
The main novelty consists in arranging the boiler in parts so as to

page_text: Invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional
view drawn at right angles to the length of the boiler through the fire-
bars, the tubes connecting the saddle and side pieces, this section passes
through the smoke flues; Figure 4 is a sectional view in the direction
of the length of the boiler, which consists of separate castings arranged
in the following manner :-
A is brickwork, upon which is placed a number of fire-bars B and
metal bearers C, upon these bearers stand two hollow castings D, D';
parallel with the fire-bars and having their back ends placed close to
a third hollow casting E, which has its top side somewhat higher than
the side castings. The casting E is connected at each end by pipes E¹
with side castings D, D¹. Upon the top of these three castings is
placed a hollow casting F supported by them. This casting is saddle-
shaped, and it is connected by pipes F¹ at each side with the upper
ends of the back casting E; it is also connected by other pipes F*
with the side castings. Near the bottom of the sides of the casting F
and lying between the sides thereof are two flues G, G', which extend
only to a portion of the length of the casting; they are stopped short
of the front, which is closed with a door which can be opened for the
purpose of cleaning the flues and also for the purpose of cleaning the
return flue G, which latter flue is above them in the upper part of
the casting F. The front ends of the castings D, D', are closed with
a door, which door is opened to replenish the fire, and a door also closes
the front end of the space between the bearing walls, which space
forms the ash-pit. By the above arrangement I obtain a larger amount
of heating surface than by the ordinary arrangement. The flames or
hot air from the fuel on the fire-bars will pass in the direction indicated
by arrows between the side castings up the face of the back casting,
and then dividing it will pass along the two flues G, G', and will return

page_text: along the flue G into the chimney shaft or flue. The water to be
heated is fed into the casting E at the back or at other convenient
part thereof by pipes, and circulating through all the four hollow
castings it escapes when heated at the top of the casting F through
the pipe F³, and will return to the boiler through the pipes F' at the
lower part and back of the casting E.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Arranging the boiler so as to enclose the fire and obtain an
extension of flue, which traverses the apparatus thrice prior to its exit
to the chimney and prevents the exposure of the pipes and their con-
nections to the fire, substantially as described.
Second. The general arrangement and combination of parts con-
stituting the improvements in the construction of boilers, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Foster, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
ROBERT FOSTER. (L.S.)