Improvements in Steam Generators applicable for Propelling Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators applicable for Propelling Boats.
I, DÉSIRE THOMAS PIOT, of 10, Buckingham Street, Titchfield Street, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows;-
-
The object of this invention is to produce a steam generator having an automatic
continuous feed the said feed being effected by the evaporation of the water in the
generator.
Now according to this invention I provide a vertical vessel of any suitable size
and shape but preferably elliptical in cross section and having an inclined
bottom.
When applying my invention to propelling boats I provide two pipes or tubes
which project beyond the stern of the boat in a horizontal direction and are also
bent upwards at any suitable angle.
The upper portion of the said tubes or pipes are passed into the said vertical
vessel and secured therein by any suitable means the upper ends of the said pipes
or tubes being almost in contact with the underside of the top of the vertical
vessel.
The tubes enter the inclined bottom of the vertical vessel at the highest part
thereof, and extend diagonally to the top of the said vessel across the narrowest
part thereof.
The upper end of each tube has a narrow slot therein opposite to the side of
the vertical vessel nearest to it.
The top of the vertical vessel is provided with an escape valve which may be
either a weighted valve or spring loaded the said valve fitting steam tight on a
suitable seating.
The heat is applied mainly to the bottom of the vertical vessel near the junction
of the said vessel with the tubes.
To start the apparatus the tubes being immersed in water the vertical vessel is
heated the valve raised to expel the air in the vessel and when closed the water
flows up the tubes into the vessel; as the water issues in small quantities from
the slots and falls into the heated vessel it flashes into steam which steam partly
escapes by the valve and the remainder presses backwards the column of water
in the tubes until the steam which fills the tubes comes in contact with the cold
portion of the tubes below the water line. The condensation at once causes the
water to again fill the tubes a portion escapes into the vertical vessel and the
cycle of operations is repeated the ebbing and flowing of the water in the tubes
being utilised as a jet propeller owing to the difference in the velocity of the
water driven out by the pressure of the steam in the vertical vessel and the velocity
of the water drawn into the tubes by the vacuum formed by the condensation of
the steam.

page_text: When used merely as a generator the open ends of the tubes would be
immersed in a tank of water.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897.
THOMAS ERNEST HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, London, E.C., Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Steam Generators applicable for Propelling Boats.
I, DESIRE THOMAS PIOT, of 10, Buckingham Street, Titchfield Street, in the
County of London, 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:
-
The object of this invention is to produce a steam generator having an automatic
continuous feed the said feed being effected by the evaporation of the water in the
generator.
Now according to this invention I provide a vertical vessel of any suitable size
and shape but preferably elliptical in cross section and having an inclined
bottom.
When applying my invention to propelling boats I provide two pipes or tubes
which project beyond the stern of the boat in a horizontal direction and are also
bent upwards at any suitable angle.
The upper portion of the said pipes or tubes are passed into the said vertical
vessel and are secured therein by any suitable means the upper ends of the said
pipes or tubes being almost in contact with the underside of the top of the vertical
vessel.
The tubes enter the inclined bottom of the vertical vessel at the highest part
thereof and extend diagonally to the top of the said vessel the tubes being disposed
across the smaller diameter thereof.
The upper end of each tube has a narrow slot therein opposite to the side of
the vertical vessel nearest to it.
The top of the vertical vessel is provided with an escape valve which may be
either spring loaded or dead weighted or otherwise the said valve fitting steam
tight on a suitable seating.
The heat is mainly applied to the bottom of the vertical vessel near the junction
of the said vessel with the tubes.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed
to explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which
Fig. 1 represents elevation of a toy steamboat fitted with a steam generator and
propelling apparatus constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is section through boat and generator.
Fig. 3 is plan of boat.
Fig. 4 is section of boat shewing a modified form of generator.
Fig. 5 is cross section through generator.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figs.
a is a boat preferably made of metal is a tank or receiver for oil or spirit
c the wick d the steam generator which consists of a vertical elliptical vessel
having an inclined bottom f. The said vessel is provided with a spring loaded or
other suitable escape valve g fitted to the top thereof hh are two pipes or tubes
extending from near the top of the vessel d diagonally across the same the said
tubes being placed side by side across the smaller diameter of the said vessel.

page_text: The said pipes or tubes emerge from the vessel d at the higher part of the
inclined bottom are carried thence downwards through the hull of the boat below
the water line and proceed on each side of the keel till they terminate beyond
the stern as shewn, the pipes or tubes being brazed or otherwise secured to the
bottom of the vessel d and the hull of the boat to prevent leakage. Instead of
the pipes or tubes hh being partly horizontal as shewn by dotted lines Fig. 2
they may be curved below the water line as shewn by full lines which latter
construction is preferable as then there is no need to charge the said pipes or tubes
with water each time the boat is used as a sufficient quantity of water remains
in the bend of the said pipes or tubes to ensure the boat starting as soon as the
generator is hot. The open ends of the pipes or tubes hh may be plugged when
the boat is not in use to prevent evaporation.
The ends of the pipes or tubes hh inside the vessel d are plugged and slots mm
are formed in the pipes or tubes opposite the side of the said vessel nearest to
them so as to allow only a very small quantity of water to enter the said vessel
at a time. The escape valve 9 may be constructed in the same manner as an
ordinary dead weighted or spring loaded safety valve and the object of the said
valve is to facilitate the ascent of the water in the pipes or tubes h h and to prevent
the vessel d and the said pipes or tubes from being entirely emptied of water.
According to a modification of my invention as shewn by Fig. 4 the vessel d
instead of being vertical with an inclined bottom may be in the form of a hori-
zontal cylinder and the pipes or tubes h h enter the said vessel at the top
thereof curve downwards and again upwards terminating at the end of the cylinder
opposite to that at which they entered. is the rudder and j the funnel which
is so constructed as to shield the flame of the lamp from the wind.
filling orifice. o a screw stopper for the same.
π is the
To start the boat the pipes or tubes hh are filled with water by any suitable
means and the lamp lit when the boat is in the water the escape valve is raised
to allow the air in the vessel d to escape. When the air is expelled the valve
is closed and the water flows up the pipes or tubes hh and issues therefrom in
small quantities through the slots m m and falls into the heated vessel flashing
into steam as it touches the bottom thereof.
The steam partly escapes by raising the valve and that portion thereof which
remains in the vessel d presses backwards the column of water in the pipes or
tubes hh (or in one of them) until the steam is condensed by coming in contact
with the cold portion of the said pipes or tubes below the water line outside-the
hull of the boat. This condensation causes a partial vacuum to be formed in the
vessel d and the pipes or tubes hh and the water again flows into the said vessel
and the cycle of operations being continued the ebbing and flowing of the water
in the pipes or tubes (or the circulation of the water therein) being utilized as
a jet propeller owing to the difference in the velocity of the water driven out
by the pressure of the steam in the vessel d and the velocity of the water flowing
into the tubes owing to the vacuum in the said vessel.
Or if circulation is established the water enters the vessel d by one pipe or
tube and the steam escapes therefrom by the other pipe or tube. When used
merely to generate steam the open ends of the pipes or tubes h h are immersed
in a tank or other vessel containing cold water the steam escaping through the
valve g being used for driving purposes.
In any case the generator is self feeding.
Although I have only mentioned two pipes or tubes hh I may use four or more
tubes.
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 In steam generators applicable for propelling boats and other purposes the
combination of two or more pipes or tubes terminating in a vertical vessel fitted

page_text: with an escape valve at the top thereof and having an inclined bottom adapted
to be heated by the flame of a lamp or other source of heat the ends of the pipes
or tubes inside the vessel being plugged and the pipes or tubes slotted to allow
the water therein to fall into the vessel the feed water being supplied to the
said vessel by the condensation of a portion of the generated steam in the said
pipes or tubes which are partly immersed in water.
2 The modified form of the apparatus as shewn by Fig. 4 of the accompany-
ing drawings.
3 Apparatus for generating steam and propelling boats constructed as shewn
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of August 1898
T. E. HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.