Improvements in Water-tube Steam Boilers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water-tube Steam Boilers.
I, KENNEDY PARK, of No. 46 Antrim Street, Cambridge, in the county of
Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates particularly to boilers for the generation of steam, and
has for its object to provide a simple and efficient construction whereby a rapid
circulation of water may be maintained and a large area of heat-absorbing surface
is presented to the circulating water. The invention consists in the improvements
which I will now proceed to describe and claim:-
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a boiler embodying my invention, a
portion of the casing being broken away.
Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking toward the left.
Figure 3 represents an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a partial rear elevation and partial section of another form
of boiler embodying my invention.
Figure 5 represents a partial side elevation and partial section of the construction
shown in Figure 4.
Figure G represents a modification.
Figure 7 represents an enlarged front view of a portion of one of the headers.
Figure 8 represents a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7...
Figure 8 represents a view similar to Figure 8, showing a modification.
Figures 9 and 10 represent views illustrating the manner of inserting the
hand-hole cover shown in Figures 7 and 8.
Figures 11 and 12 represent perspective views of the hand-hole cover and the
spider that supports the bolt of said cover.
Figures 13 and 14 represent views of details hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings—
a represents a suitable fire-grate, above which is a fire-space enclosed by suitable
walls, portions of which are formed by the usual or any suitable casing or setting,
and a bridge-wall b. Above the grate and forming front and back walls at
opposite ends of the fire-space, are two series of headers cc c¹¹ of peculiar form,
the peculiarity consisting in the depression of the central portion of each header,
so that the ends are considerably higher than the central portion, each header
having a gradual upward inclination from its central portion to its ends. The
preferred form of header is that shown in the drawings, the header comprising
two oppositely inclined portions which meet and form an obtuse angle at the
longitudinal centre of the header. The headers are assembled or nested in the
manner shown in the drawings, each being rectangular in cross-section, and pre-
ferably in close contact with the one above it, so that they form practically close
sectional walls, as above stated. Each header c is connected with the corresponding

page_text: header by means of a plurality of tubes d, said tubes being attached to the inner
walls of the headers by any suitable means, preferably by being inserted in holes
formed in said walls and expanded in said holes, in a manner well understood,
the headers being preferably provided with hand-holes in their outer walls, said
hand-holes being covered by removable plates or covers c³, as shown in Figure 3.
The headers c care located at a lower level than the headers c' c', so that the
connecting tubes & are inclined upwardly from the headers to the headers c', as
shown in Figures 2 and 5..
The headers are connected at their ends with substantially vertical pipes c³
and etc, which constitute parts of a circulating system. whereby water is permitted
to flow into the ends of the headers and to flow from the ends of the headers cl,
the water flowing downwardly through the pipes into the headers c, and from
the headers upwardly through the tubes into the headers c¹, and out from
the raised ends of the latter into the pipes. c, through which the water flows
upwardly. Said pipes are, in the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, connected
with elevated transverse drums & and c, said drums being horizontally arranged,
the drum being over the headers c and connected with the pipes 3, while the
drum c is over the headers c and is connected with the pipes e c', said drums
being connected with each other by horizontal pipes . The drum c is preferably
larger than the drum c, its lower portion being below, the lower portion of the
drume, so that when water is present in the two drums, the tendency will be. for
the water to flow downwardly through the pipes c¹..
In Figures 4 and 5, I show the pipes c c connected with a single drum es
extending lengthwise of the boiler. The pipes e c3 are connected by horizontal
pipes (shown in. dotted lines in Figure 4 with a downwardly projecting
branch of the drum e, while the pipes ce are connected directly with the
drum by horizontal pipes which are located at a higher level than the
pines cc, so that water tends to flow downwardly from the drum through the
pipes e, as in the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2. The upper ends of
the pipes ce are enlarged in the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the
inner sides of the enlarged portions having orifices which receive the outer ends
of the horizontal pieces cc, while their outer sides have orifices eo to permit
the insertion of a tool to expand the ends of said horizontal pipes, said orifices
being closed by plates or covers c³.
Each of the pipes 3 may be connected with the pipe e on the same side, by
inclined tubes d', preferably arranged close together to form tubulous walls at
opposite sides of the fire-box, hand-holes being provided in the outer sides of the
pipes e³ for the reception of expanding tools to expand the ends of said inclined
tubes.
I have provided an improved form of hand-hole and an improved construction
of cover or plate for use in connection therewith, the same being shown clearly in
Figures 7 to 12, inclusive.
of 4
The hand-hole 2, which may be either of the various hand-holes shown in the
drawings, is of approximately triangular form, and has its greatest width along
the line -.8. The cover is of similar form, and has a marginal shoulder
about the same size as the hand-hole, and a flange e projecting outwardly from
said shoulder, said flange and shoulder forming a groove in which is seated a
gasket of lead. On the cover is formed a bolt which passes through an
orifice in a spider co, said spider having legs which bear on the outer surface
of the wall or face in which the hand-hole is formed. Shoulders e formed on said
legs bear on the margin of the hand-hole, and keep the spider in place laterally.
Similar shoulders on the cover bear against the margin of the hand-hole,
to prevent lateral displacement of the cover. A nut engaged with the bolt c
co-operates with the spider, bolt, and cover in compressing the gasket between
the Bange of the cover and the inner surface of the wall in which the hand-hole 5
is formed.
t
114
The described form of the hand-hole and cover enable the cover to be inserted

page_text: edgewise in the widest part of the hole, as indicated in Figure 9, and then swung
inwardly, as indicated in Figure 10, the cover being then turned to its proper
position and secured as above described.
In Figure 8, I show the flange slightly grooved for the reception of the
gasket, while in Figure 8 the groove is formed in the inner face of the wall in
which the hand-hole is formed.
It will be seen that by the described construction and arrangement of the
headers, connecting pipes, and drums, I insure a ready and natural circulation of
water, and large areas of heating surface to which the water is exposed. The
peculiar form of the headers facilitates the circulation of the water, the downwardly
flowing water through the pipes entering the raised ends of the headers c and
flowing downwardly therein, and then upwardly through the tubes d, and through
the headers cupwardly in both directions from the center thereof, to the pipe c
It is obvious that the headers and their connecting tubes arranged as shown
may be used in connection with any other suitable means for circulating water
and steam, my invention not being limited to the employment of the drums c and e
or to the drum c.
The receiving headers c may be conveniently termed "return-headers," and the
corresponding pipes "return-pipes," to distinguish these parts from the headers c¹
and pipes, which may be termed respectively "flow-headers" and "flow-pipes."
The upper and lower walls of the headers have no openings; that is, they are
continuous, and unbroken by holes, and therefore serve as partitions which prevent
the passage of water from one header to another, and restrict the circulation to
the passages formed by the pipes e³ c'.
It will be seen that in consequence of the inclination of the headers shown in
Figures 2 and 5, the inner faces of the headers which receive the ends of the
inclined tubes d are arranged at right angles with said tubes, so that the headers
require only to be tapped or perforated for the reception of the tubes d, and do
not require special adaption to the inclined tubes, such as would be required if
the tube-receiving faces of the headers were vertical.
The drums are preferably provided with baffle-plates p, each extending from
the bottom partly to the top of the drum. These baffle-plates are perforated to
permit water to flow through them at a comparatively slow rate, the plates being
intended to prevent rapid bodily movement of the water from end to end of the
drum, such as would be caused by the motion of a yacht or vessel.
In Figure 13, I show one of the vertical pipes connected with the convex
head of the drum e instead of to the body of said drum, said head being provided
with an offset of projection o adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the upper
end of the pipe.
In Figure 14, I show a portion of one of the vertical pipes e provided with a
series of inclined faces to receive the ends of the pipes d', said faces being
arranged at right angles with the pipes d', which as already stated are inclined.
By providing the inclined faces 20, I am enabled to secure the inclined pipes d'
to the vertical pipes by simply expanding the ends of the pipes din orifices
formed in the pipe c³, no other adaptation of the vertical pipe c³ to the inclination
of the pipes d' being required. The pipes may have similar inclined faces 20 to
receive the opposite ends of the pipes d.
It will be observed that the central depression of the headers and the continuous
upward inclines from the depressed center to the ends of each header permits the
formation of steam-pockets in the headers, and that the provision of holes in
the raised ends of the headers enables said ends to be connected with vertical
circulating-pipes which are located at the sides of the fire-space and are therefore
kept cooler than would be the case if they were arranged at or near the center of
the fire-space. This is a feature of importance, so far as the pipes which conduct
water downwardly from the boiler to the return-headers are concerned, the down-
ward flow of water through said pipes being retarded in proportion to the degree
of heat to which they are subjected.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A boiler comprising two sectional hollow walls located at different heights
at opposite ends of a fire-space, each wall being composed of a plurality of headers
which are depressed at their central portions and inclined upwardly from their
depressed portions to their ends, inclined tubes connecting the headers of the lower
wall with the headers of the higher wall, and connections between the ends of
the headers of one wall and the ends of the headers of the other wall, whereby a
circulation of water is maintained through said headers and tubes, the water flowing
into the raised ends of the headers of the lower wall, through the inclined tubes to
the headers of the higher wall, and out of the raised ends of the headers of the
higher wall.
2. A boiler comprising a series of centrally depressed return-headers constituting
a wall located at one end of a fire-space, a series of centrally depressed flow-headers
constituting a higher wall at the opposite end of said space, inclined tubes extending
from the return-headers to the flow-headers across said space, substantially vertical
flow and return pipes connected with the raised ends of said headers, and one or
more elevated drums connected with said pipes.
3. A boiler comprising a series of centrally depressed return-headers constituting
a wall located at one end of a fire-space, a series of centrally depressed flow-headers
constituting a higher wall at the opposite end of said space, inclined tubes extending
from the return-headers to the flow-headers across said space, substantially vertical
flow and return pipes connected with the raised ends of said headers, and a drum
connected with the said flow and return pipes, the How-pines being connected with
the dum at points lower than the connection between the return-pipes and the
drum.
יד
4. A holder comprising a series of centrally depressed return-headers constituting
a wall located at one end of a fire-space, a series of centrally depressed flow-headers
constituting a higher wall at the opposite end of said space, inclined tubes extending
from the return-headers to the flow-headers across said space, substantially vertical
flow and return pipes connected with the raised ends of said headers, the upper
ends of said flow and return pipes having hand holes in their outer portions and
detachable covers for said hand-holes, a drum adjacent to the upper ends of said
flow and return pipes, and horizontal pipes connecting said drum with the flow 3
and return pipes, said pipes coinciding with the said hand-holes.
5. In an apparatus of the character specified, a conduit having a substantially
triangular hand-hole in one of its walls, a similarly formed cover of greater area
than the hand-hole and provided with a bolt and with shoulders to bear against
the margin of the hand-hole, a spider perforated to receive said bolt and having
shoulders and legs to bear against the outer surface of the wall and against the
margin of the hand-hole, and a nut engaged with said bolt and bearing on the
spider.
Apri
KENNEDY PARK.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.