Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Water or Steam, also applicable for Condensing Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Water or Steam, also
applicable for Condensing Purposes.
I, CHARLES JAMES BROWN, of No. 15 Victoria Street, Westminster, London,
S.W. Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
My invention consists mainly of an improved form of tube and tube plate,
whereby an uninterrupted course is allowed for the precipitation and deposit of
mud, saline, lime and other impurities, and free access is allowed to the exterior of
the tubes from both ends of the heater.
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The internal tubes through which the steam-which may or may not be the
" exhaust " from an engine passes are in the main of the well known inverted
U" form, which, as is well known, has the advantage of allowing free expansion
without strain. But the ends of each tube are turned outwards at right angles to
its length.
The usual lateral tube plate and lower steam space are dispensed with and in
place thereof, I form two half annular steam spaces or half-belts embracing the
lower portion of the casing, which for this purpose may conveniently be formed
separately and of cast iron. The inner walls of the half-belts are made sufficiently
thick to serve as an annular tube plate, and into suitable holes in this the outward
turned ends of the tubes as before described are inserted and expanded. The
steam inlet may be placed at any desired point in the inlet half-belt and the steam
outlet similarly in the outlet half-belt. It will be understood that two walls
separate the two half-belts, and there is no communication from one to the other,
except by way of the "U" tubes, which are arranged so that each of them forms
such communication. The outer wall of the half-belts, may be formed with the
other walls or formed by a separate plate suitably secured.
The ends of the tubes are disposed in the tube plate in suitable ranges to
economise space and at a convenient distance below the lower range the heater
bottom is formed preferably by a dished and detachable cover.
The condensed steam water formed within the tubes flows into the lower part of
the belts which are formed of sufficient depth below the tubes for this purpose, and
is drained off therefrom at any convenient point by suitable pipes. To the lower
part of the heater I attach a blow-out valve, but in order not to interfere with the
detachable bottom cover, I prefer to attach it at the side, but in order not to
extract the deposit from the lowest point, I carry an internal bent pipe to the said
lowest point from the blow-out valve. The water inlet is placed as is usual in the
side of the heater casing above the tube plate, and I prefer to place the water
outlet also at the side, near the top, and I close the top by a suitable detachable
cover. Thus when both top and bottom covers are removed, there is a clear
passage through the heater, and the tubes can be conveniently cleaned. For this
purpose I prefer to elevate the heater somewhat from the ground by making it
stand on suitable legs.
My invention is also applicable to surface condensers, intermediate heaters and
super-heaters, and similar apparatus.
Dated this 19th day of March 1894.
EDGAR CONISTON MILLS,
Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Water or Steam, also
applicable for Condensing Purposes.
I, CHARLES JAMES BROWN of No. 15 Victoria Street, Westminster, London,
S.W. 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 :-
My invention consists mainly of an improved form of tube and tube plate
whereby an uninterrupted course is allowed for the precipitation and deposit of
mud, saline, lime and other impurities and free access is allowed to the exterior of
the tubes from both ends of the heater. The internal tubes through which the
steam which may or may not be the exhaust" from an engine-passes are in
the main of the well-known inverted " U" form which as is well known, has the
advantage of allowing free expansion without strain.
In order that my invention may be better understood I refer to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of a heater constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional clevation on the same plane as Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken through the line a b, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line c d Fig. 2.
A is the usual external casing having the water inlet B and outlet C. It is
closed by a top cover a bolted on and by a bottom cover a³ also bolted on. The
lower part of the casing is preferably constructed of thicker material such as cast-
iron in order to form the annular tube plate D into which the ends of the tubes E
are inserted and expanded their lower ends being bent outwards as shewn for this
purpose. This tube plate or body is preferably constructed separate from the
casing and attached thereto by bolts securing the ring F to which the casing A is
rivetted. G is the steam inlet and H the steam outlet. They communicate with
the annular steam space I which by means of the walls or division plates .J (see
Fig. 3) is divided into two half-belts. It will be seen from Figs. 2 and 4 that the
tubes are so disposed that the steam from the inlet G can only enter the ascending
legs of the "U" tubes, the descending legs all delivering into the outlet half-belt
communicating with H.
A sludge cock K is attached to the lower part of the body by which means the
⚫ sediment can be periodically blown out.
The main feature of my invention is the accessibility of the exterior of the
tubes for cleaning. Thus when the bottom lid a² is detached and dropped on to
the ledges L prepared for it a man can clean the tubes by means of a brush or
hosepipe from below and by removing the top cover a' the upper pipes can be
similarly cleaned.
Another important feature is the space M below the ends of the tubes where
'sediment can collect without interfering with or scaling the tubes.
It will be observed that there is a space N in the half-belts I below the level of
the lower tube ends. This is for the purpose of collecting the condensed steam
water which is drained off and may be used for any desired purpose.
The legs are provided to carry the whole apparatus and to allow accessi-
1bility to the tubes and interior of body and casing when the bottom cover a³ is
removed.
It is obvious that I may place the inlet and outlet branches G and H in any
desired position radially on their respective half-belts as indicated by dotted lines
in Fig. 3.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved heater or condenser having internal "U" tubes whose lower
ends are bent outwards to enter an annular tube plate substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The improved heater or condenser having the internal " U tubes whose
ends are turned outwards to enter an annular tube plate combined with the half-
belts for distributing the inlet and collecting the outlet steam substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. The improved heater or condenser casing having its lower part formed as an
annular tube plate surrounded by and combined with the distributing half-belts
and further combined with removable top and bottom covers substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. The improved heater or condenser having the internal "U" tubes with their
lower ends bent outwards combined with the settling space below the tube ends
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of December 1894.
EDGAR CONISTON MILLS,
Agent to the Applicant.