IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain,Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Sealed the 8th December 1857, and dated the 17th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th July 1857.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," a communication from a foreigner resident
abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement and combination of flues
and tubes for steam boilers of all kinds, but more particularly for locomotives.
The outer shell of the boiler is made cylindrical, and contains a central
cylindrical flue, which is covered at its inner end by a concave cap, which
is rivetted to a flange extending some distance beyond the surface of the
cylindrical flue. This flue is wholly or partially surrounded by
sets of tubes, which open at their inner ends through the flange into the
Peine 81

page_text: concave cap. By this arrangement the tubes are in communication with the
cylindrical flue, whilst their front ends open into the smoke box, which is
at the fireman end of the boiler. The furnace is placed inside the cylindrical
flue. The tubes thus act as return flnes, and greatly increase the heating
surface. The boiler is so constructed that water surrounds the sides of the flue
and tubes, and a water space is left between the concave cap and the end of
the boiler. Facility is afforded for cleansing the tubes by causing the
cylindrical flue with its tubes to be removable, and this may be done by
connecting them by bolts and suitable packing with the outer shell of the
boiler. This boiler may be easily converted into a locomotive by adding
wheels, and fitting a horizontal steam engine thereto.
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 16th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, T, Jonn
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Heury Johuson, 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 there-
after 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 BOILERS," (a communication from abroad,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal,should particularlydescribe and ascertain the nature
of the said luveution, 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.

page_text: 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 an improved arrangement and combination
of flues and tubes for steam boilers of all kinds, but more particularly for
locomotives or portable engines. The outer shell of the boiler is made
cylindrical, and contains a central cylindrical flue,which is covered at its inner
end by a concave cap, which is rivetted to a flange extending some distance
beyond the surface of the cylindrical flue. This flue is wholly or partially
surrounded by one or more sets of tubes, which open at their inner ends
through the flange into the concave cap. By this arrangement the tubes arc
in communication with the cylindrical fluo, whilst their front ends open into
the smoke box which is at the furnace end of the boiler. The furnace is
placed inside the cylindrical flue. The tubes thus act as return flucs, and
greatly increase the heating surface. The boiler is so constructed that water
surrounds the sides of the flue and tubes,and a water space is left between the
concave cap and the end of the boiler. Facility is afforded for cleaning
the tubes by causing the cylindrical flue with its tubes to be removable, and
this may be done by connecting them by bolts and suitable packing with the
outer shell of the boiler. The boiler may be easily converted into a locomotive
or portable engine by adding wheels and fitting a horizontal steam engine
thereto.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed;
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all
the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings, shew the mode of con-
structing the improved boiler. It is composed of two parts, the outer shell or
casing A, B, C, D, and the inuer cylindrical portion, E, F, M, N, which
contains the furnace G, H, and tubes O, O. The outer shell A, B, C, D, has
a flange A, B, at the end nearest the furnace. At the front end of the inner
cylinder E, F, M, N, is a tube plate E, F, which is bolted to the flange A, B;
and at the back end is another tube plate L, M, to which is bolted the concave
cap or cover P.
A series of tubes O (Figures 1 and 2) are placed around
K, N, and serve as return flues for the flame after it has passed the chainber
formed by the spherical cover P. The tubes communicate with this chamber

page_text: by being fixed in the tube plate L,M, by means of ferrules or otherwise; their
other extremities open into the smoke box,being fixed in the larger tube plate
E, F, in a similar manner to that employed at L,M; thus it will be seen that
all the internal parts forming the boiler are completely bound together. An
exterior view of this portion detached is shewn at Figure 3. The smoke box
Q, which can be either made of cast or wrought iron, consists in this case of a
cylindrical box, which surrounds the joint A, B, E, F, to which it is fastened
by some of the bolts which form that joint, and which are made of sufficient
length for that purpose. In portable engines this box Q forms the base of the
chimney R; under other circumstances R will serve as a conducting tube to
lead the smoke into a flue common to other boilers, or into a combustion
chamber for still further extracting its heating properties. The doors Sand T
of the furnace and ash-pit are fixed on the box Q; and on either side of these
are sinaller doors for the purpose of inspecting the interior of the tubes, and
which serve also to introduce tube brushes for the purpose of cleaning the
interior of the tubes. The door or lid V is removable when it becomes
necessary to clear the chamber I', M, N, of the ashes and soot that accumulate
therein. The tubes O may be made either of copper, iron, or yellow metal.
Figuro 4 is a detached view of the box which forms the front smoke
chamber Q. When it is necessary to get at the steam boiler, either for the
purpose of repairing it or for cleaning out the sediment left by the water, by
removing the box Q, the joint A, B, E, F, is left uncovered.
In boilers of medium dimensions the flange M, N, may be permitted to draw
along the bottom of the casing A, B, C, D, whilst in the act of removing the
interior of the boiler; but in large-sized boilers it would be advisable to have
pullies fixed at the back end of the inner portion at G, Figures 7 and 9,
narrow strips of iron being fitted on to the bottom of the shell for these
pullies to run upon. The union of the inner portion of the boiler to the
outer shell or casing may be effected in various ways. Amongst others the
following methods inay be resorted to:-The joint may be made with red lead
puttey, as is commonly used in the joints of steam pipes, each of the bolts
being surrounded with hempen gasket; or a ring composed of iron or coppor
rod, and about three-sixteenths of an inch diameter, may be used lapped all
round with hemp and covered with red lead. The ring is then placed between
the flanges, and the bolts are screwed up tight; or a ring of either flat or
round iron or copper rod of soft nature and thoroughly annealed might be
employed; grooves being cut in the two flanges corresponding to each other,
in which grooves this ring is placed; one single groove in the flange A, B,
would suffice. By screwing up the bolts the compression of the soft metal

page_text: forming the ring will make the joint perfectly tight. This method will be
found especially applicable in the case of portable and locomotive boilers, as
it furnishes a safeguard against the joint being disturbed by jolting over a
road; any other description of joint may be employed so long as care is
taken to provide the front end of the inner casing with the means of
resting on the bottom of the shell or outer casing.
This system of boiler can be used in generating high-pressure steam. The
tube plate E, F, would then require to be suitably curved, and to have a
thickness proportional to its diameter. They can be made to work up to a
pressure of 6 or 7 atmospheres. If necessary,additional stays might be intro-
duced, providing they do not interfere with the stability of the inner casing;
vertical, tubular, and other boilers can also be constructed on this plan.
Figures 5, 6, & 7 shew arrangements of boilers to be used for marine
and land purposes. The outer shell or casing A, B, C, D, which carries, as
in the previous arrangement, a steam dome K, and is considerably elongated,
and contains two inner cases placed back to back, each one being provided
with a separate furnace. The sinoke pipes R and R' conduct the smoke into
the chimney after the heat has been extracted from it by passing through a
refrigerator containing the feed water for the boiler.
Figures 8 and 9 shew an arrangement suitable for marine purposes; owing
to the great facilities for cleansing out the saline deposits left by the water,
the generation of steam is considerably facilitated when compared with the
ordinary marine boilers, and steam of greatly increased pressure can be used.
Even when it is not desirable to make use of extreme pressure, this system
offers several advantages. The outer casing may be made of the ordinary
shape peculiar to marine boilers, and any number of inner cases placed
therein, either side by side, or one over the other so as to form two tiers;
each row may be either single or double by placing another casing back to
back, after the method shewn in Figure 5.
In Figure S, three outer shells or casings A, B, C, are shewn, each con-
taining an inner moveable casing. R and R' are steam chests into which the
steam passes from each of the boilers or generators by passing through the
pipes D, E, F, each of which is fitted with a stop valve. The chimney which
serves for them all is shewn at G; the smoke instead of proceeding directly
from the furnace into the chimney can be made to pass through the steam
chests Rand R¹ by means of one or more tubes, in order to superheat the
steam contained therein. The red line shews the particular arrangement
of the chimneys in this latter case.
Sheet 2 of the Drawings represents the application of this plan of boiler to

page_text: portable engines with horizontal or vertical shafts; Figures 1 and 2 shews its
application to a portable condensing engine on wheels. It is there shewn on
two wheels, but four can be used, if preferred. By dispensing with the air-
pump P,Q,R, and its condenser, and allowing the steam to escape into the
atmosphere, an ordinary portable high-pressure engine is obtained
By placing these engines on sleepers of wood or iron as shewn at K,
Figure 4, a semi-portable engine is obtained. The steam cylinder C has a
steam jacket, which permits the steam to circulate round it prior to its
entering the valve chest for distribution in the cylinder. The cylinder, cover,
and bottom are cast hollow, as shewn in Figure 3, up to a certain sized engine,
I prefer that the steam should circulate also in the interior of the cover and
bottom. These jackets may be used without reference to the engine being
condensing or not, their object being to attain the maximum amount of
economy in steam. The slide valve is wrought directly by means of an
eccentric fixed on the shaft of the engine; the slide casing is divided into
two parts E and D, Figure 3, along the centre of the slide rod; this is shewn
vertically in Figure 2, and horizontal in Figure 3.
The air pump from its peculiar construction allows of its being of smaller
dimensions than ordinary, and permits of its being driveu at a high rate of
speed, say 150 revolutions per minute. This air-pump is double acting,and
its piston, which is solid, is packed in the usual manner; the injection water
is admitted into the chamber M, N, by means of the pipe M; the steam enters
the condenser N by the pipe Q; S is the stop-cock for regulating the supply of
injection. The tubes are formed of india-rubber or layers of canvas. T is
the discharge for the waste water. By keeping the cover W perfectly closed
it might serve as an air-vessel, or in its place might be substituted a cover of
india-rubber; holes might be bored in it to allow the confined air to escape,
care being taken that the water does not also escape. O is the feed pump,
which is wrought by the air-pump cross head.
Figures 3 and 4 represent another description of engine; in this case,
however, the shaft instead of being horizontal is fixed vertically.
In some
respects Figures 3 and 4 may be considered supplementaryin Figures 1 and 2.
On the vertical shaft of Figure 5 is fixed a dise P, which by means of the
crank pin A performs the function of a crank, at the same time serves as
a driving pulley. The pin A is prolonged as at B, and this serves in actuate
the slide valve. Q and Q' are two other driving pullics. This arrangement
is especially adapted for driving millstones, and can be made to work as a
high-pressure or as a condensing engine. In the latter case a similar descrip-
tion of air pump is employed to tha above described (Figures 1 and 2), the

page_text: only modification necessary being that due to the shaft being placed vertically
in place of horizontally.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and $ represent a class of engines designed for the use of
those trades where large quantities of dust are emitted, or which are placed in
exposed situations in the open air. I have arranged around the machine a
cast-iron casing A, B, C, and D, which answers at the same time the purpose
of a framing for the engine. In order to decrease the weight of this casing it
is pannelled out, and the pannels or openings are covered over with thin
sheet metal; the upper part of the casing is made to open upon hinges.
The cylinder and other vital parts are completely sheltered, and to enable
the attendant to inspect the machine, square of glass are let in at various
points, as indicated at V, V, V, Vi
The whole engine complete is contained within the framing A, B, C, D, and
may be readily lifted on to the boiler (on which there are cast-iron brackets
fixed by means of rivets), and there fastened by bolts and nuts. This engine
works at a high pressure, and the feed pump Z is wrought off the end of the
piston cross head; the bearings are entirely of cast iron without brass bushes,
and are placed in recesses formed in the framing. The journals of the
main shaft are slightly convex in form in order better to retain the oil.
The framing or casing A, B, C, D, may be formed of one casting, as
that would ensure a greater amount of rigidity and lightness than would
be the case did it consist of a number of pieces bolted together. A still
further amount of lightness may be attained by constructing the framing
of angle iron or T iron.
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
into effect, 1 would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention. Nor
do I claim any of the mechanical elements of which the said apparatus and
parts of apparatus are respectively composed, as being separately or apart
from the use or application of such clements to form the combinations
constituting such apparatus and parts of apparatus respectively as being
any part of my said Invention, but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general constructions and arrangements of steam boilers as
herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the constructing of steam boilers for all purposes, with an inner
casing containing the furnace and tubes, which inuer casing is removeable
at pleasure, for facilitating the cleaning or repairing of the same, as
herein-before described.
Third, the combination of a concave cap with an inner moveable Hue
and return tubes, as herein-before described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of
the Drawings.
Fourth, the peculiar combinations of steam boilers and engines to be
used as portable or semi-portable engines, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)