IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Guy at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1883.
HENRY GUY of West Cowes Isle of Wight,
CONDENSERS."
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE
My Invention has for its object so to facilitate the cleaning of the tubes of
surface condensers as to enable this to be done in much less time than hitherto
and consequently permit of the operation being performed more frequently and
of maintaining the engines in a correspondingly higher state of efficiency than has
heretofore been possible, and the Invention consists in so constructing the condenser
as to enable the whole of the tubes to be removed from the casing bodily in one
single cluster (or in any convenient number of clusters, according to the dimensions
of the condenser) together with the two tube plates (or segments of tube plates in
which they are fixed. As the tubes are not unfixed from their tube plates in order
to remove them, the use of ferrules, packings, and glands is rendered unnecessary
and the construction of the condenser is correspondingly simplified and the cost of
renewals of these parts is obviated.
. According to my Invention the tubes are fixed immovably in the tube plates
which are so fixed as to be-inserted and removed bodily therewith and a con-
venient way of carrying my Invention into effect is to make one of the tube plates
small enough to be passed through the casing of the condenser for insertion and
removal and to secure it in position by bolting to an internal flange on the casing
on the opposite end to that at which it is introduced, whilst the other tube plate
is larger and is bolted to an external flange at its end. The plates may however
be otherwise secured, and are enclosed by doors or covers which may be fixed in
position by the same bolts that secure the tube plates.
In the case of large condensers for steam ships the tube plates can be constructed
in segments each pair of segments (one at each end) holding a cluster of, say one
to two hundred tubes (more or less as found convenient) the several segments
being fixed in position by suitable means which admit of the insertion and
withdrawal bodily of the cluster of tubes together with the segments of tube
plates in which they are fixed, as above described

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Guy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th July
1883.
HENRY GUY of West Cowes, Isle of Wight IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE
CONDENSERS
My Invention has for its object to enable the tubes of surface condensers to be
cleaned in much less time than hitherto and consequently permit of performing
the operation more frequently and of maintaining the engines in a correspondingly
higher state of efficiency than has heretofore been possible, and the Invention
consists in so constructing the condenser as to enable the whole of the tubes to be
removed from the casing bodily in one single cluster (or in any convenient number
of clusters, according to the dimensions of the condenser) together with the two
As the tubes are
tube plates (or segments of tube plates) in which they are fixed.
not unfixed from their tube plates in order to remove them, the use of ferrules,
packings, and glands is rendered unnecessary and the construction of the condenser
is correspondingly simplified.
According to my Invention the tubes are fixed immovably in the tube plates
which are themselves so fixed as to be inserted and removed bodily therewith and
a convenient way of carrying my Invention into effect is to make one of the tube
plates small enough to be passed through the casing of the condenser and be
secured in position by bolting to an internal flange of the casing at the opposite
end to that at which it is introduced, whilst the other tube plate is larger and is
bolted to an external flange at its end. The plates may however be otherwise
secured, and are enclosed by doors or covers which may be fixed in position by the
same bolts that secure the tube plates.
In the case of large condensers for steam ships the tube plates can be constructed
in segments each pair of segments (one at each end) holding a cluster of, say one
to two hundred tubes (more or less as found convenient) the several segments
being fixed in position by suitable means which admit of the insertion and with-
drawal bodily of the clusters of tubes together with the segments of tube plates
in which they are fixed as above described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a rectangular form of condenser for a small
launch engine the tubes being in position. Figure 2 is longitudinal elevation
of the tubes and tube plates removed from the casing for cleaning. Figure 3 is a
face view of the larger tube plate. Figure 4 is a face view and Figure 5 a vertical
section of a tube plate made of three sections. Figure 6 is a section of another
form of joint for the sections. Figures 7 and 8 show the method of fixing the
sectional tube plates when made in four parts as in the case of large condensers.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 A B are the two tube plates, D the tubes, C the
casing and E F the end covers of the condenser. The casing C has an internal
flange cat one end and an external flange c¹ at the other end, against which
flanges the plates B and A respectively abut as shown. The plate B corresponds
to the internal dimensions of the casing C and the plate A to the external
dimensions of the flange c¹ and the tubes D are fixed in said plates by being
simply expanded into their holes which may be set closer together in the plate B
than in the plate A so that the tubes converge slightly as shown or the holes in
plate A might be directly opposite to those in plate B in which case the tubes
would be parallel.

page_text: The
The tube plates may be tied together by a suitable number of stay rods a.
tubes are introduced bodily into the casing C by sliding the plate B through the
casing from the end c¹ until it abuts against the flange c the plate A at same time
abutting against the flange c'. The plates may be bolted at once to their respective
flanges or the covers E F which enclose the ends of the tubes may be first applied
and be secured by the same bolts. The cover F is provided with inlet and outlet
pipes for the circulating water and with an internal partition f separating the
inflowing and outflowing currents.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the larger plate divided transversely into three
sections A' A A³ with rebated joints bolted together as shown. The smaller
tube plate at the other end would be divided into similar sections. Figure 6
shows a flanged joint suitable for large condensers the flanges serving to stiffen
the plate.
In Figures 7 and 8 A' is one of the four segments of the tube plate C is the
outside flange of the casing as before and Cs are cross bars which may be cast in
one with the casing to support the sectional plates at the joints. The plates
may be secured to the cross bars either by a row of bolts in each as in Figure 7
or by a single row in the line of the joint as in Figure 8. The sections of the
other tube plate are supported in the same way and are introduced through the
openings covered by the sections of the larger plate as previously described.
In converting an old condenser a loose frame corresponding in form to the
flange C and cross bars C2 would be placed against the end of the condenser casing
to form a support for the sectional plates.
Having described the nature of the said invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First The construction of surface condensers in such manner that the whole
of the tubes or clusters of any number of them may be inserted and removed
bodily together with the two tube plates (or segments of tube plates) in which
they are fixed by sliding into and out of the casing substantially as herein shown
and described.
Second-The construction substantially as described of the tubes and tube plates
of a surface condenser (or of a cluster of any number of tubes and the corresponding
sections of the tube plates) as an independent structure capable of being inserted
or removed bodily into or from the casing.
Third The particular construction of each of the several arrangements of
surface condenser with removable tubes and tube plates herein described and
shown in the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Guy have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty Fourth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
HENRY GUY (L.S.)