An Improvement in Ribbed Tubes for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 14th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Ribbed Tubes for Steam Boilers.
I, THOMAS ALFRED REED, of Merchants Exchange, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention relates to boiler tubes furnished with ribs or vanes projecting
inwardly and extending lengthwise in such tubes.
Heretofore the ribs or vanes have been each in the same separate plane through-
out the tube, that is to say radial, or approximately radial and straight.
Now this invention consists in having the inwardly projecting ribs or vanes
spirally arranged somewhat after the manner of the grooves in a rifle.
With such ribs or vanes the passage of flame and heated gases through the tube
is retarded, the curvature in the ribs or vanes causing them to act as baffle
plates.
Thus combustion is rendered more perfect and the heating effect of the flame and
gases is more fully utilized.
Dated this 12th dow of Amil 1892.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Ribbed Tubes for Steam Boilers.
I, THOMAS ALFRED REED, formerly, of Merchants Exchange, Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, and now of Atlas Chambers, Cardiff, aforesaid, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 to boiler tubes furnished with ribs or vanes projecting
inwardly, and extending lengthwise in such tubes.
In such tubes as hitherto made each rib or vane is continued in the same separate
plane throughout the tube, that is to say, radial, or approximately radial and
straight.
Now this invention consists in having the inwardly-projecting ribs or vanes
spirally arranged somewhat after the manner of the grooves in a rifle.
With such ribs or vanes the progress of flame and heated gases through the
tube is retarded, the curvature in the ribs or vanes causing them to act as baffle
plates.
Thus combustion is rendered more perfect and the heating effect of the flame and
gases is more fully utilized.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents a transverse
section of a boiler tube a furnished with ribs b in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of such tube.
The ribs 6 instead of being straight throughout are spirally arranged somewhat
after the manner of the grooves in a rifle barrel.
The ribs do not extend to either extreme end of the tubes but terminate short
thereof so as to permit the introduction of a tube expander or other tool for fixiug
the tubes in the tube plates.
The ribs, which may vary in number and have any suitable degree of twist, may

page_text: be extended inwards to any desired depth subject to sufficient space being left for
introduction of a cleaner and stopper.
At Fig. 3 is shown a transverse section of a tube fitted with ribs in accordance
with this invention. In this example the ribs are of uniform depth. In the example
shown at Fig. 4 the ribs are not of uniform depth. At Fig. 5 is shown an example in
which the ribs are of uniform depth but are less numerous than in the example shown
at Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The provision, in boiler tubes, of ribs such as 6 extended inwards towards the
centre and having a spiral or twisted course from towards one end of such tubes to
towards the other end or throughout any part thereof, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 13th day of January 1893.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Agent.