IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ambrose Coffey, of 4, Providence Row,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 13th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ambrose Coffey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1859.
I, JOHN AMBROSE COFFEY, of 4, Providence Row, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the adoption of processes whereby the necessity of
using vessels the bottoms or other parts of which have to be exposed to the action
of fire (although fire may be so applied in conjunction with this Invention) to
effect the raising the temperature of the contents of such vessels to the same
and even to a greater extent than can be done without danger, and with great
economy of space and fuel, and whereby the necessity of applying steam to
the bottoms or other outside parts of the said vessels is obviated (although

page_text: this Invention might be used in conjunction with steam so applied). And
this process will be found very useful for distilling turpentine, naptha, tar,
ammonia, alcohol, sulphuric ether, acid, & other things.
This process
consists in introducing surfaces heated by steam, superheated
steam, hot liquid, or hot air into the interior of the vessel contaning the fluid
to be raised in temperature, for which I place therein a suitable heater, filled
with direct passages proceeding from the bottom to the top & open both at
top & bottom, but having the spaces between such passages closed in. This
apparatus is placed in the boiler contaning the fluid to be raised in tempera-
ture (at some distance from the bottom, which distance may be varied as
may be deemed necessary), & is provided with an inlet pipe at the top, to
introduce the steam, &c. from any suitable generator placed at any convenient
position and distance, having also an outlet for the condensed or partially con-
densed steam at the bottom for letting the same off without going into the vessel
contaning the fluid. The steam, &c. which is let in at the inlet soon fills all
the spaces, whilst the fluid or semi-fluid mass under operation rises in the
passages between the spaces, besides surrounding the whole, & is drawn up
these passages with great rapidity by the effect of the great heat kept up in the
steam, &c. spaces, whereby the fluid, &c. is soon raised in temperature, &
may be kept so & augmented to almost any extent, & this dispenses with the
apparatus termed "rousers."
This apparatus may be constructed of glass, glazed or enamelled metal, vul-
canite india-rubber, earthenware, or other ceramic material, and may be plated
or coated with gold or silver, &c.
The same apparatus may be applied for cooling, substituting for the steam,
atmospheric air, water, or other cooler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ambrose Coffey in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
AMBROSE COFFEY, of 4, Providence Row, Finsbury, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Ambrose Coffey, Her special licence that I, the said John Ambrose
Coffey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Ambrose Coffey, my executors, administrators, 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 APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 consists in the adoption of a process, whereby the necessity
of using vessels the bottoms or other parts of which have to be exposed to the
action of fire or steam, although fire or steam may be so applied in conjunction
with this Invention, to effect the raising the temperature of the contents of
such vessels to the same and even to a greater extent than can be done in the
ordinary vessels without danger, and with great economy of space and fuel, and
whereby the necessity of applying steam to the bottoms or other outside parts
of the said vessels is obviated, although this Invention might be used in con-
junction with steam so applied. And this process will be found very useful
for distilling turpentine, naptha, tar, ammonia, alcohol, ethers, acids, and other
things.
The process consists in introducing surfaces heated by steam, superheated
steam, hot liquid, or hot air into the interior of the vessel containing the fluid
to be heated, for which I place therein a suitable heating vessel filled with
direct passages proceeding from the bottom to the top, and open both at top
and bottom, but having spaces between such passages closed in. This apparatus
is placed in the heating vessel containing the fluid to be heated, at some
distance from the bottom, which distance may be varied as may be deemed

page_text: necessary, and is provided with an inlet pipe at the top to introduce the steam
from any suitable generater or reservoir placed at any convenient position and
distance, having also an outlet for the condensed or partially condensed steam
at the bottom for letting the same off without going into the heating vessel
containing the fluid. The steam is let in at the inlet, and soon fills all the
spaces, whilst the fluid or semi-fluid mass under operation rises in the passages
between the spaces, besides surrounding the whole, and is continually drawn
up these passages with great rapidily by the effect of the great heat kept up
in the spaces for steam or other heater, whereby the fluid, &c. is soon heated,
and may be kept so and augmented to almost any extent, and this dispenses
with the apparatus termed "rousers."
This apparatus may be constructed of various materials, such as glazed or
enamelled metal, vulcanite, india-rubber, earthenware, or ceramic material,
though I usually prefer metal.
This apparatus might be applied to cooling by substituting for the steam
atmospheric air, water, or other cooler.
The Drawings accompanying this Specification shew at Fig. 1 (plan view)
and Fig. 2 (elevation or exterior view) an arrangement for a heater constructed
according to this Invention, which arrangement consists in having a cylindrical
or other suitably shaped vessel partially closed at each end, that is, only open at
each end as regards the passages marked a, such passages being, as shewn by
this Figure, curved and concentric or coiled passages, as in Fig. 3 (6 marking
the passages in this Figure), or they might be partially coiled or partially
concentric, or even straight passages, and which straight passages might be
arranged so as to have the cross sections triangular. Through the spaces
outside of these passages the steam, superheated steam, heated air, heated
liquid, or heated vapour circulates, whilst the liquid to be heated surrounds
the heater and passes through the passages.
Fig. 4 shews this heater marked A, placed inside a common still, B shewing
a steam pipe conveying the steam to the heater.
Fig. 5 shews the heater marked A', applied to a still, the lower part of
which is of wood, which, by the application of this Invention, can be used with
advantage, as no fire need be applied to the still; B' in this Figure denotes
the steam pipe.
Fig. 6 shews a still which is formed of earthenware, and in this case also no
fire needs to be applied to the still.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the Invention of improve-

page_text: ments in apparatus for heating liquids, as herein-before set forth and described,
it being understood that I do not claim the details set forth when taken
separately and apart from the purposes of this Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed and sealed in my presence,
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
156, Strand.
JOHN A. COFFEY. (L.S.)