IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM GENERATORS."-A communication from abroad by Henry Brown,
of the Emilianofka Foundry, Peterhoff Road, near St. Petersburg, in the
Empire of Russia, Engineer.
Sealed the 13th August 1865, and dated the 4th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th March 1865.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," a communication to me from abroad
by Henry Brown, of the Emilianofka Foundry, Peterhoff Road, near St.
Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of rotatory
steam generator, and consists of the following combination of parts:-The
boiler is of a cylindrical form with spherical ends; it is enclosed in a metal
casing, which is lined with fire bricks. At the bottom part of the casing and

page_text: under the boilers are placed two furnaces, the furnace doors (of which there are
four) are placed on one side of the casing. Between the boiler and the brick
casing is left a space for the flames and heat from the furnaces to play entirely
round the boiler. The boiler is hung on two cast-iron hollow necks, each neck
having a ring keyed on to it turned true, and on these rings the boiler
revolves. The rings work in chains that rest on brackets fastened to each
end of the outer casing. The ring at the end, by which the boiler is rotated,
has a toothed rim cast on it, which projects beyond the chair. Into this
toothed rim or worm wheel an endless screw works, the shaft of which is
supported in bearings attached to the upper gland of the chair; .this shaft is
to be driven by a small engine that is required for feeding the boiler. Through
one of the necks passes a tube, which forms the flue by which the smoke
passes off to the chimney. In the neck at the opposite end of the boiler is
placed the steam pipe, which passes through a stuffing box in the neck. That
part of the pipe which passes through the stuffing box is eularged, and the
steam channel placed eccentrically in it, so as to leave room for placing a feed
pipe under the steam pipe. Inside the boiler the steam pipe is carried up
towards the top, and the feed pipe towards the bottom of the boiler. Through
the centre of the steam pipe and through a stuffing box is passed a small rod
fitted with a lever on the end inside the boiler, to which is attached a hollow
metal float resting on the surface of the water in the boiler. To the other
end of the rod, outside the boiler, is fitted a lever with pointer and index. As
the water in the boiler rises or falls, so will the float, and therefore the position
of the handle outside will e hew the height of water in the boiler. Should the
rod stick or work tight in the stuffing box, by turning the handle the float will
be pressed into the water, so that the attendant can feel the surface of it in
the boiler. To the end of the steam pipe, outside the boiler, is fitted a vertical
pipe, which has in the middle of its length an eye accurately bored out to fit
the turned end of the steam pipe. The metal of the eye on one side is cut
through, and the vertical pipe is put on the steam pip e, two cramps being
placed on the eye of the vertical pipe, which are screwed up by four bolts, by
which the steam pipe is clipped fast. The lower end of the vertical pipe is
bolted to a flange projecting from the chair above referred to, and keeps the
steam pipe from turning round as the boiler revolves. An aperture is made
in the steam pipe to correspond with the aperture in the vertical pipe for the
steam to pass.
On the top end of the vertical pipe are placed two safety
valves, and a neck is provided to which a pipe is to be fitted for carrying the
steam to the engine. On the vertical pipe the steam and pressure guages can
be fitted. The top and bottom parts of the chairs in which the boiler revolves
"

page_text: have a flange cast on them, which is bolted to the casing to prevent any cold
air entering through the space that is left round the necks on the boiler. The
chairs are cast hollow, and water flows through them by means of pipes to
keep them cool. At the smoke end of the boiler, between the chair and the
chimney, is placed a damper, the frame of which is fastened both to the
chimney and chair. The top of the outside casing has several openings, which
are closed by caps hung by levers to a shaft which runs along the top of the
casing, supported by brackets fastened to the casing. One of the levers is
made with a long arm, to which is hung a chain or rod, by which the caps are
lifted off the openings. The use of these openings is to prevent the top part
of the boiler being overheated should the boiler be stopped from revolving for
a time. By lifting the caps cold air will rush on to the top part of the boiler,
and cool it down; it will also check the draught of the chimney, and damp
the fire on the grate. When the boiler is at work the openings are closed,
the caps being made tight by means of a sand joint. The top part of the
casing takes off from the lower part should the boiler require to be examined,
there being an angle-iron frame round the two halves of the casing, by which
'they are screwed together. The inside of the cylindrical part of the boiler
throughout the greater portion of its length is divided into compartments by
radial plates bent into a U shape; of these divisions there may be any number.
The U-shaped plates are placed radially inside the shell, and between each arm
of the U is left a small space. The shell of the boiler is cut through to
correspond with these spaces, which form slots running the length of the
cylindrical part of the boiler. The lower part of the U-bent plates, where
they meet together, leaves a hollow space in the centre of the boiler; this and
the small spaces above referred to form the flues of the boiler, by which the
smoke passes off to the chimney. The upper arms of the U plates and their
ends are flanged; the flanges of the arms are rivetted to the outside shell of
the boiler, and the end flanges have plates rivetted to them which close up the
small narrow spaces between the arins of the U plates. The hollow part in
the centre of the boiler is closed at one end by a plate, and opens at the other
end by a tube into the chimney. The flat surfaces of the U-bent plates are
sunk into cups, of which there are two on the radial and five on the longi-
tudinal length of the plate. These cups are sunk to a depth equal to half the
space between the plates which form the radial flues; thus, when the plates
are all placed together in their places, the bottom of one cup rests on the
inverted bottom of the one opposite, and serves instead of stays to support the
pressure of the steam. The spaces between the radial divisions are occupied
by steam and water, the level of which latter should not be higher than the

page_text: centre of the boiler, and may be lower. The ends of the U plates. being!
flanged, as they dip and rise out of the water they will retain a quantity of.
water equal to the depth of the flange; as the plates rise into the vertical,
position this water will run off one plate on to the opposite one. This will
prevent the plates being burnt whilst they are outof the water, and the water
on these plates will be flashed into steam, which coming in contact with the
heated plates will get dried and superheated.
A boiler of this construction will evaporate a large quantity of water in a.
short time at a small cost of fuel consumed, and give superheated steam. As
long as the boiler is kept in motion, and should the water get low, the boiler
is in no danger of being burnt. The construction of the boiler is such that.
it requires no stays, and is.of.the strongest shape that can be given to a
boiler, and takes up a small space in comparison with, a boiler of other
construction of equal power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN:
HENRY. JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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
STEAM GENERATORS," a communication to me from abroad by Henry Brown, of
the Emilianofka Foundry, Peteterhoff Road, near St. Petersburg, in the Empire
of Russia, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature

page_text: 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters:
Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that. I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and.
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
rotatory steam generator.
Figure 1 of theexplanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed represents
a longitudinal vertical section of.the said generator; Figure 2 is a front end
elevation of the same; and Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof..
In all these Figures the same parts are indicated by corresponding letters of
reference.
A is the boiler, which is of a cylindrical form with spherical ends; it is
enclosed in a metal casing B, which is lined with fire-bricks. At the bottom
part of the casing and under the boilers are placed two furnaces. The
furnace doors C, C, (of which there are four),are placed on one-side of the
casing. Between the boiler and.the brick casing there is left a space for
enabling the flames and heat from the furnaces to play entirely round the
boiler. The boiler is hung on two cast-iron hollow necks D, D, each neck
having a ring E keyed on to it, and turned true, and on these rings the boiler
revolves. The rings E, E, work in chairs F, F, which rest on brackets G, G,
fastened to each end of the outer casing, B. The ring Eat the end by which
the boiler is rotated has a toothed rim El cast on it, which projects beyond
the chair. Into this tooth rim or worm wheel an endless screw F1 works, the
shaft of which is supported. in.bearings attached to the.upper gland of the
chair; this shaft is to be driven by.a small engine that is required for feeding.
the boiler. Through one of the necks.D passes a tube H, which forms the
flue by which the smoke passes off to the chimney I. In the neck, at the
opposite end of the boiler, is placed the steam pipe J, which passes through a
stuffing box in the neck. That part of the pipe which passes through the
stuffing box is enlarged, and.the.steam channel placed eccentrically in it; so
as to leave room for placing the feed pipe K under the steam pipe (see
Figures 1 and 2). Inside the boiler the steam pipe is carried up towards the
top and the feed pipe towards the bottom of the boiler.. Through the.centre
of the steain pipe, and through a stuffing box is passed a small rod.a, fitted"

page_text: with a leverb on the end inside the boiler, to which is attached a hollow metal
float c, resting on the surface of the water in the boiler. To the other end of
the rod, outside the boiler, is fitted a lever d, with pointer and index e. As the
water in the boiler rises or falls so will the float, and therefore the position of
the handle outside will shew the height of water in the boiler. Should the rod
stick or work tight in the stuffing box, by turning the handle d, the float will
be pressed into the water, so that the attendant can feel the surface of it in
the boiler. To the end of the steain pipe, outside the boilers, is fitted a vertical
pipe L, which has in the middle of its length an eye l, a curately bored out to
fit the turned end of the steam pipe J. The metal of the eye is cut through
a split on one side, as shewn at m, Figure 2, and the eye of the vertical
pipe L is slipped on to the steam pipe J,two cramps or clips being placed on
the eye of the vertical pipe L, which are screwed up by four bolts, by which
the steam pipe J is clipped fast. The lower end of the vertical pipe L is
bolted to a flange projecting from the chair F, above referred to, and keeps
the steam pipe J from turning round as the boiler revolves. An aperture is
made in the steam pipe J, to correspond with the aperture in the vertical
pipe L for the steam to pass. On the top end of the vertical pipe L are
placed two safety valves M, M, and a neck N is provided, to which a pipe is
to be fitted for carrying the steam to the engine. On the vertical pipe L the
steam pressure guages can be fitted. The top and bottom parts of the chairs F,
in which the boiler revolves, have a flange cast on them, which is bolted to
the casing to prevent any cold air entering through the space that is left round
the necks Don the boilers. The chairs are cast hollow, and water flows through
them by means of the pipes d' d', to keep them cool. At the smoke end of
the boiler, between the chair and the chimney, is placed a damper O, the frame
of which is fastened both to the chimney and chair. The top of the outside
casing has several openings P, P, which are closed by caps hung by levers to
a shaft p, which runs along the top of the casing, supported by brackets
fastened to the casing. One of the levers is made with a long arm, to which
is hung a chain or rod, by which the caps are lifted off the openings. The
use of these openings is to prevent the top part of the boiler being overheated
should the revolution of the boiler be arrested for a time. By lifting the caps
cold air will rush on to the top part of the boiler and cool it down; it will
also check the draft of the chimney, and damp the fire on the grate. When
the boiler is at work the openings are closed, the caps being made tight by
means of a sand joint. The top part of the casing takes off from the lower
part should the boiler require to be examined, there being an angle-iron frame
round the two halves of the casing, by which they are screwed together. The

page_text: inside of the cylindrical part of the boiler,through ;ut the greater portion of its
dength is divided into compartments by radial plates beut into a U shape; of
these divisions there may be any number; in the Drawings seven of them
are shown. The U-shaped plates are placed radially inside the shell, and
between each arm of the U is left a small space h, h, h. The shell of the
boiler is cut through to correspond with these spaces h, which form slots
running the length of the cylindrical part of the boiler. The lower part of
the U-bent plates, where they meet together, forms a hollow space in the
centre of the boiler; this and the small spaces h above referred to constitute
the flues of the boiler, by which the smoke passes off to the chimney. The
upper arms of the U plates and their ends are flanged; the flanges of the arms
are rivetted to the outside shell of the boiler, and the end flanges have plates
rivetted to them, which close up the small narrow spaces h between the arms
of the U plates. The hollow part in the centre of the boiler is closed at one
end by a plate, and opens at the other end by the tube H into the chimney.
The flat surfaces of the U-bent plates are sunk into cups g, g, of which there
are two on the radial and five on the longitudinal length of the plate. These
cups are sunk to a depth equal to half the space h between the plates which
form the radial flues. Thus, when the plates are all fitted together in their
places, the bottom of one cup rests on the inverted bottom of the one opposite,
the cups so placed serving instead of stays to support the pressure of the
steam. The spaces i, i, between the radial divisions are occupied by steam
and water, the level of which latter should not be higher than the centre of
the boiler, but may be lower. The ends of the U plates being flanged, as they
dip and rise out of the water they will retain a quantity of water equal to
the depth of the flange. As the plates rise into the vertical position this water
will run off one plate on to the opposite one. This will prevent the plates
being burnt whilst they are out of the water, and the water on these plates
will be flashed into steam, which coming in contact with the heated plates will
become dried and superheated.
A boiler of this construction will evaporate a large quantity of water in a
short time at a small cost of fuel consumed, and give superheated steam. So
long as the boiler is kept in motion, although the water may get low, the
boiler is in no danger of being burnt. The construction of the boiler is such
that it requires no stays, and is of the strongest shape that can be given, and
takes up a small space in comparison with boilers of other constructions and
of equal power.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be nove]
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar construction,
arrangement,and combination of rotatory steam generator, and parts connected
therewith, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)