AN IMPROVE- MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1836

page_text: COLLIER'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELISHA
HAYDON COLLIER, of East India Cottage, City Road, in the County of
Middlesex, formerly of Boston, in the State of Massachussetts, one of the
United States of North America, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King William the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the
seventh year of the reign of His said Majesty, did give and grant unto me, the
said Elisha Haydon Collier, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Elisha Haydon Collier,
my exors, admors, and assigns, and every of them, by himself and themselves, or
by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the
said Elisha Haydon Collier, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term of fourteen years therein expressed, should and might make, use,
exercise, and vend, in that part of the United Kingdom called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and also in
all the Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS;" and in which said Letters Patent
is contained a certain clause or proviso obliging me, the said Elisha Haydon
Collier, within the space of six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to ascertain and describe the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause

page_text: the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery, as by
reference to the said Letters Patent will more fully and at large appear.
NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso,
I, the said Elisha Haydon Collier, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say)
-
of that Figure.
Figure 1 is a front section of a steam boiler for supplying steam to two
engines of sixty-five horse power each, with part of the front plate removed,
the right-hand side shewing the furnace doors, whilst those on the left are
removed, and below the ash-pits one of two covers of the apparatus for occa-
sionally cleaning out any mud or sediment, they being placed at the lowest part
of the boilers where all the deposit will naturally be lodged. Figure 2 is a side
section or elevation of the boiler taken at the dotted line A, B, of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1, taken at the dotted line C, D,
Figure 4 is a section taken at the line E, F, in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a
horizontal section of the funnel. Figure 6 is a top view of the boiler and
funnel. Figure 7 is a side view and section taken at the line G, II, in Figure 1.
In all these Figures the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts. In
this steam boiler the water is distributed amongst a number of narrow upright
chambers I, I, &c. placed horizontally, Figures 1, 2, and 3, with spaces
J, J, J, &c. between and around them for the flame and heated air from the
furnaces to pass through and thus quickley to heat the water, their back ends
K, K, &c. all opening into a common cross chamber L, as shown in Figures
2 and 3; these chambers being nearly closed at their tops, the steam generated
ascends and escapes at the upper part of their back ends, whilst the water is
constantly flowing in at the lower parts, and thus a circulation is produced
which effectually prevents any sediment being lodged within the chambers.
These chambers I, I, &c., are placed in sets in separate furnaces, as shewn at
N, N, in Figure 1, and the whole is enclosed in one easing O, O, &c., forming
the steam boiler; the chambers, ash-pits, and the whole furnaces being
enclosed and surrounded with water. There is likewise provided an outer
casing P, P, &c., containing a slow conducting medium, such as a mixture of
potters' clay and charcoal, with water poured in between the outer and inner
casings to prevent the radiation of heat. The flue Q is likewise surrounded
with water to become heated, and to supply the chambers in the boiler in pro-
portion to the evaporation occasioned by the escape of the steam; this supply
is effected by a pipe R proceeding from the water around the funnel, and con-
nected with a horizontal pipe S, S, from which branch pipes T, T, &c. enter at

page_text: the front bottoms of all the chambers, and thereby prevent the possibility, how-
ever violent the fire may be, of the water being renioved from contact with the
interiors of the chambers; the pressure of the column of water being much.
greater than the pressure of the steam, there are likewise provided vent
pipes U, U, &c. at the upper front ends of the chambers to allow the escape of
any surplus steam that may be generated in the chambers to the mass of steam
contained in the steam chest. These two last improvements effectually prevent
all injury to the steam generators or chambers from any carelessness or wilful
design to injure them from over firing. In Figure 2 an upright pipe or tube V
is represented, which is open at both ends, the lower end being immersed within
six inches of the bottom of the boiler and the upper end entering the funnel,
and thus in case of any accident arising from the sticking of the valves or other.
causes, the pressure of the steam in the boiler will force the water into the.
funel and damp the fire; or to prevent a collapse from any sudden condensa-
tion of the steam, the upper end of the pipe being open will admit the atmo-
spheric air to enter and restore the equilibrium. And it is a known fact that a
boiler of any description, as a common house copper or a tea kettle, for instance,
have never been known to burst either by expansion or collapsing, as notwith-
standing all the gases which may be generated from the oxygenation of the
metal by the water, the pressure of the atmosphero keeps the water in constant
contact with the metal, and prevents it from being overheated, which is the
general cause of the bursting of all boilers. W is a stop-cock in the pipe V,
and which can be closed when it is required to blow off the whole of the water
and sediment in the boiler at the pipes X, X. In order to render these boilers
more manageable, so as to be readily raised or lowered and be affixed in the
holds of steam vessels, the boilers when made on a large scale are constructed
in two separate portions Y, Z, and which can be united and form one boiler, in
the manner to be described hereafter. In Figure 1 one portion is shewn as
containing two sets of four chambers I, I, I, I, mounted in two distinct fire-
places a, a, and a, d, the other portion also containing two similar sets of
chambers, which, however, are hid by the outer casing of that portion of the
boiler. Figure 8 is a longitudinal or side view of one of these chambers, and
Figure 9 a front view of it. This is formed of two plates of wrought iron
rivitted together in the manner shewn in Figure 10, which is an end section
of it, the plates being so arranged that the joinings or overlappings shall be
higher on one side than upon the other, and so as to leave a clear space between
them for the short tubes to lodge in, through which and through holes made in
the chamber bolts or rivets are passed to preserve the sides of the chamber in
form, and also to prevent the overlappings of two chambers from touching each

page_text: other. The front end of this chamber is closed by means of a bent double
angled iron plate similar to that shown in section at Figure 11, which is rivitted
to the side plates as shewn in that Figure and in Figure 8. The inner end of
it K'is left open, and united with the back plates of the fire-places of the boiler
in the following manner: b, b, in Figures 2 and 7 is an edge view or section of
the back plate of one portion of the boiler, both of them being shewn in the
plan, Figure 3, and one of them separately in Figure 12, as viewed from the
back of it. This back plate has eight upright apertures made in it to receive
the two sets of four chambers each within them, and as shewn in section in
Figure 8, after which two other plates, each having four apertures in it
similar to that shewn in Figure 13, are fitted upon them and secured by rivit-
ting them together, a space being provided in the fittings to receive iron
cement and to make a secure joint. A collar, shewn in front at Figure 14,
and sideways in Figure 15, is then slipped over the inner end of each chamber,
as shewn in section in Figure 8 by dotted lines; each chamber has likewise
three screws c, c, c, affixed within its inner end, the shank or stem of each screw
being made forked; similar in form to that shewn edgeways in Figure 16, so
that it can be rivetted within the chamber; these screws. pass through holes
made in three cross bars similar to that shewn in section; Figure 17, and are
then bound fast by screwed nuts, one of which is shewn in Figure 18, against
four stops rivitted upon the sides of the chambers, and two of which are shewn
at d, d, in Figure 8. A plate with a square bar projecting from it is also rivetted
upon the front end of each chamber as is shewn at e, in Figures 8 and 9, and
which said bars are lodged in gaps formed in cross bars to receive them and
as shewn at e, c, e, e, in Figure 1, and thus the sixteen chambers are all firmly
secured in their places in the boiler, the right side of Figure 1 also containing
eight of them; although concealed by the outer coverings of the boiler, the whole
of them, however, are either shewn or their places indicated by dotted lines in
the plan, Figure-3-;-each-set_of_eight chambers are combined in the manner
shewn in Figure 1. by means of the covering plate f, f, or crown-of-the
furnace, which is united by means of angled iron to the sides of the two fire-
places a and d, and a middle plate g also combined with them in the same
manner. They are also united to the compartments Y, Z, by means of other
plates, h, h, h, h, and angled iron in the manner shewn at Y in that Figure.
The fires are supported upon longitudinal wrought or cast iron bars i, i, &c.,
and which rest upon the cross bars j, j, Figures 1 and 2,. and which said cross
bars are lodged in gaps formed in pieces of iron rivitted to. the sides of the
fire-places to receive them. In order, however, to prevent the fires from
injuring the pipes T, T, which supply the chambers I,. I, &c. with water, a

page_text: plate k is placed over the ash-pit to prevent the passage of air through that
part of the fire-places. Neither do the fire bars extend the whole length of
the chambers towards their back ends, but a hollow bridge is formed there to
be filled with water. The inner or open ends of the chambers I, I, &c. all
communicate with the water in the cross chamber L or back part of the
boiler, as above mentioned, and that with the rest of the water contained in that
portion of the boiler. The heat and flame of the fire having passed up between
and around the chambers impinges against the top plate or crown of the fire
box f, f, and then passes downwards through the flue m into an enlarged
horizontal or cross flue n, and thence descends up another flue o, which passes
through the upper part of this portion Z of the boiler, ready to meet another
similar flue which passes through the top of the other portion Y of it, and
thence into the main flue Q. The two portions of the boiler Y, Z, are united
to one common steam chamber p, by being rivetted to it, and to make the
union of the portions Y, Z, complete a plate g, shewn in section in Figure I,
and by dotted lines in Figure 6, is rivitted air-tight upon and along the two
inner margins of the two portions of the boiler Y, Z, which are previously
placed in proper positions contiguous to each other. To render this union
more firm, and to prevent dislocation in the boiler, three cross stays r, r, r,
Figure 19, are rivetted upon the front ends Y, Z, and similar ones are also
affixed upon their back ends; underneath these stays are also placed upright
bars, one of which is shewn at 8, in order to prevent the slow conducting
materials above described from entering between the two portions of the
boiler; the back end of the boiler is lowered down to the level of the water in
the boiler, as shewn in Figure 2, in order that the flue may be, as before men-
tioned, entirely surrounded with water, and as shewn in the section, Figure 4.
A damper or throttle valve is mounted within the chimney flue, as indicated
by the dotted line at t in Figure 2, and a lever and chain is affixed to the
outer end of its axis, by which it may be brought to act as required to regulate
the fires, the lower part of the valve being loaded in order to retain it in a
vertical position when not in use. The boiler is supplied with hot water from
that which surrounds the flue by means of the pipe R, R, as above mentioned,
and water is supplied to that enclosure by means of the pipe u, u, which
conveys it from a pump worked by the steam engine, and v, v, is a waste pipe
to carry off any superabundant water. The outer casing enclosing the slow
conducting materials is preserved at a proper distance from the boiler plates by
means of short screwed tubes rivetted upon the boiler plates at proper dis-
tances apart, and into which said tubes screws with square heads are inserted
to bind the outer casing in place. The doors to the fire-places are made

page_text: double to confine the heat from escaping outwardly, and holes are made
hrough their fronts to admit air to enter at the lower holes and escape at the
upper ones, and which thus circulating keeps the doors cool. c, t, in the hori-
zontal pipe S are regulating feed cocks to supply the chambers I; I, &c. with
a due quantity of hot water. in Figure 2 is part of a pipe to convey the steam
to the engines. To give additional support to the back ends of the fire plates
stays or feet y, y, are rivetted to them and to the bottom of the boiler;,,
are arched passages through the back ends of the ash-pits and through the
bridges of the fire-places, and also into the bottoms of the horizontal portion
of the flues m. These eight arched passages are closed by as many doors,
two of which are shewn in section in Figure 2 and three in their places in
Figure 1, the fourth being left open to shew the two arched passages. The
intent of these arched passages is to clear out any ashes which may have been
separated from the smoke of the fire-places. Four sight holes, two of which
are shewn in Figure 1, are provided through the fronts of the boiler in order
to view the state of the fires in them, and which can be closed by hanging
covers fitted to them as usual.
2
The two portions of the boiler Y, Z, can be entirely separated by carrying
up a partition within the steam chamber O, as indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1, and thus the engines may be worked at half speed by employing
only one half the steam power. In this case of course two steam pipes similar.
to that shewn at a in Figure 2 will be required.
Having thus described a method of carrying my said Invention into effect,
I do hereby declare,―
Firstly, that I do not mean or intend hereby now to claim as my Invention
the general disposition or arrangement of the narrow upright chambers of any
steam boiler, that being already claimed in a Patent granted to Thomas
Brunton, of Park Square, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, on the
Fourteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, for an
Invention communicated to him by a certain foreigner residing abroad,
namely, by myself. But I do hereby claim the forming the aforesaid chambers
narrow below and widening above, which causes the ascending currents of heat
and flame from the fires to strike or impinge against the extending sides of
the chambers, and thereby to heat them. more speedily and effectually than
when they were made as at first with parallel sides, and as described in the
aforesaid Patent.
Secondly, I mean to claim as my Invention the arched bridges, .
Thirdly, the flues descending from the crown of the furnace into a box lying
horizontally across the back end of the boiler, by which much of the water is re-

page_text: moved, and the heated air is extended over a greater surface for generating steam,
and is retained much longer in the boiler without encreasing its dimensions.
Fourthly, the lowering that part of the boiler on which the funnel is fixed
to the level of the water linein the boiler, and thus preventing the formation
of those void spaces which are usually called steam take-ups, and which are so
destructive to steam boilers.
Fifthly, the manner of supplying water to the boilers at the lower front
ends of all the chambers, and thereby preventing the displacement of the water
in them under any ordinary circumstances when, however, it is desirable to blow
the water out to clear the boilers of any loose sediment which may remain in
their bottoms, the column of water around the funnel by a sudden rush will
wash all the chambers and the bottoms of the boilers.
Sixthly, the vent pipes at the upper front ends of all the chambers, which
pass up through the crowns of the furnaces to allow any surplus steam to
escape, and which is not only an additional protection to the chambers, but
also increases the circulating action of the water in them.
Seventhly, the safety or breathing pipe V, which is open at both ends, and
thereby prevents the boiler from bursting either by expansion or collapsing. It
also relieves the boiler at every stroke of the engine. The cock W in it may
be shut when it is necessary to blow all the water out of the boiler.
Lastly, I do not mean or intend hereby to limit or confine myself to the
employment of any particular metal or material in the construction of my said
improved steam boilers, but to use any which are fit and proper for the purpose.
Neither do I mean to limit or confine myself to any particular method or
methods of manufacturing the various parts thereof. Nor do I mean to claim
as my Invention any of the various parts composing them which may already
be known or in use. But I do hereby claim the applications and combinations
of all such parts in constructing my said steam boilers, whereby I produce the
several beneficial effects and results herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisha Haydon Collier have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1837, the aforesaid Elisha Haydon Collier came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.