IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Allibon, of Rosherville Iron Works,
Northfleet, Kent, Engineer, and Alexandre Manbré, of 81, Baker
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Sugar Refiner, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 11th January 1870, and dated the 21st July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Allibon and
Alexandre Manbré at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st July 1869.
We, GEORGE ALLIBON, of Rosherville Iron Works, Northfleet, Kent,
Engineer, and ALEXANDRE MANBRÉ, of 81, Baker Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Sugar Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of improvements in steam boilers has for its object
the constructing and usefully combining together of a series of circular
rings and parts so as to form several circular sheet water spaces or

page_text: annular water spaces alternated with heating chambers circular in form
and likewise forming annular spaces (on the plan) or rings of heat
imparting surfaces, and connected together by means of tubes and
hollow stayes, and more especially the ensuring of the thorough circu-
lation of water in marine and other steam boilers, and effecting the
rapid boiling off of the steam from the several water spaces in boilers
constructed according to our Invention, combined with a more thorough
utilization of the products of combustion and simplicity in the con-
struction and combination of the several parts of such boilers.
We construct separately, and as two distinct parts, the body of the
boiler and the fire-box. We make the fire-box and combustion chamber
of a cylindrical or it may be of a somewhat conical form, with a water
space around it formed by the combination of two rings of different
diameters with a ring or annular plate at the top and bottom thereof,
and having stud stays suitably interspersed, the fire-box and combustion
chamber being placed in an upright position. The fire-bars are at its
lower end, and until this internal portion of the boiler is combined with
the external portion or portions as herein described it is open at the top.
The outer skin or external shell of the boiler is by preference made
cylindrical, and is placed in a vertical position. The top of the said
outer skin or external shell of the boiler may be closed with a dome
end, or it may be merely slightly curved or arched, or be quite flat if
properly stayed. Within the said external cylindrical skin an inner
cylinder is fitted, concentric with the external skin or shell, and is fixed
to the latter all round it at a short distance from its lower end, and it
thus forms a water space up to the level of the crown of the boiler. This
inner cylinder is closed at the top by a domed or arched end just below
the water level of the boiler, and is also securely stayed to the dome or
top of the external skin or shell.
The two main parts of the boiler, namely, the fire-box (which is also
the combustion chamber) and the external portions or body, being thus
separately constructed, the latter is placed over the former, and the
water space of the fire-box is connected all round at the top thereof)
(by means of a series of vertical tubes) with the domed top of the inner
cylinder, and so with the main water space of the body of the boiler.
The bottom of the fire-box and the body of the boiler are connected
together by rivetting or bolting each to a flanged ring. At the centre

page_text: of the inner dome of the body of the boiler we prefer to form a circular
opening, and into it we insert or suspend a hollow cylindrical vessel,,
having an annular water space formed by the combination of two tubes
of different diameters connected by means of a ring at their lower end,
the inner ring or tube having a cover or dome plate to close it and form
the inner combustion chamber. Around the circumference, near to
the upper ends thereof, the two rings or tubes are connected together by
means of a series of horizontal tubes, through which the heated products
of combustion are caused to pass from the interior of the combustion
chamber formed by the innermost tube to the tubular chamber under
the inner dome, and so to the down passage or outer annular flue
leading to the chimney. This inner portion of the boiler, when the two
portions of the boiler are brought together, is suspended over the
furnace and within and extending down within the fire-box; the heating
surface is thus considerably increased, and the said hollow cylindrical
or annular vessel or receiver will form the central water space, being
connected to the other annular water space surrounding the fire-box by
a series of laterally disposed connecting tubes (as before mentioned),
which also form stays. The inner dome may be secured or stayed to
the external shell or dome or top of the boiler in any convenient
The fuel is fed in from or through a passage cut through the
sides of the four concentric cylinders or rings of the boiler, and a fire-
door is fitted to the outer end of the passage or opening. The products
of combustion from the fire pass up to the top of the fire-box, and are
then turned round as before described, and from thence pass between
the water tubes, and so descend between the outer side of the fire-box
portion and the inner cylinder or body part of the boiler, until they
arrive at the bottom of the external water space, when they are led
into a flue surrounding the lower part of the boiler, or, as may be found
more convenient. The chimney may rise up on the outside shell, and
thus the boiler (which we prefer to coat or cover with suitable non-
conducting composition) is adapted for use as an independent boiler,
requiring no brickwork or other setting. When preferred, however,"
the flue may be led away laterally to a main flue or to a chimney stalk.
The feed water may be pumped into the boiler by a circulating pump:
or any other suitable apparatus, and by forming an annular flue so as
to surround the lower part of the boiler, it may thus be provided. with;
a water space or jacket which may be utilized as a feed water heater;
manner.

page_text: auxiliary or supplementary to the main water spaces of the boiler, to
and from which it may be connected and disconnected at pleasure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
°
filed by the said George Allibon and Alexandre Manbré in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GEORGE
ALLIBON, of the Rosherville Iron Works, Northfleet, Kent, Engineer, and
ALEXANDER MANBRÉ, of 81, Baker Street, in, the County of Middlesex,
Sugar Refiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said George Allibon and Alexander Manbré, Her
special licence that we, the said George Allibon and Alexander Manbre,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said George Allibon and Alexander Manbré, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George
Allibon and Alexander Manbré, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said George Allibon and Alexander
Manbré, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
and the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.

page_text: Our Invention of improvements in steam boilers has for its object the
constructing and usefully combining together of a. series of circular
rings and parts so as to form several circular sheet water spaces (or
annular water spaces) alternated with heating chambers circular in
form, and likewise forming annular spaces (on the plan) or hollow
cylinders or rings of heat abstracting surfaces connected together, as
herein-after described, and thereby thereby insuring a more thorough
circulation of water in marine and other steam boilers, and for effecting
the rapid boiling off of the steam from the several water spaces, combined
with a more thorough utilization of the products of combustion, as well
as simplicity in the construction and combination of the several parts of
such boilers and accessibility for the purposes of examination and repairs.
The present Invention consists of certain improvements upon our
Invention the Letters Patent for which were dated the Twenty-third day
of January One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, and numbered
246 in the register of the said year One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
We construct separately, and as two distinct parts, the body of the
boiler and the fire-box portions, which are afterwards combined together
as in the Specification of our former Invention herein-before referred
to, but instead of having a central pendant pot or deep conical shaped
vessel, receiver, or pocket as therein described and illustrated, boilers
constructed in accordance with our present Invention have no such
suspended pot or vessel, but consist wholly of a series of cylindrical
or cylindrical and conical metal hoops or rings combined together, in
mauner herein-after described, so as to form two or more concentrically
disposed annular water spaces with a central combustion chamber or
flame box and an annular down flue or flues between the water spaces.
Thus, instead of the central pendant pot, pocket, receiver, or vessel as
heretofore employed by us, whereby the central portion of the body of
the boiler had a disproportionate weight and bulk of water suspended
therefrom in a vessel exposing to the action of the fire a comparatively
small arca of heat abstracting surface in relation to the bulk of water
contained within it, we, by our present Invention, substitute for such
suspended pot, receiver, or pocket a hollow vessel forming an annular
water space pendant from and communicating at its top or upper end
with the main body of water, as herein-after described; also, as herein.
before described and as herein after more fully described and illustrated,

page_text: we make the fire-box and combustion chamber portion of our said
boiler of a cylindrical form, although we, in some cases, prefer to make
it of a conical form so as to present an inclined heat abstracting surface
to the action of the fire, and be surrounded with a water space formed
by the combination of two hoops or rings of different diameters with
a ring or annular plate at the top and bottom thereof and having
stud stays suitably interspersed. The fire-box and combustion chamber
being upright, the fire-bars are at its lower end, and until this internal
portion of the boiler is combined with the external portion or portions,
as herein-after more fully described, the internal or furnace and com-
bustion chamber portion is open at the top. The outer skin or external
shell of the boiler is, by preference, made cylindrical and is placed in
a vertical position concentric with and to the other portions of the
boiler. The top of the said outer skin or external shell of the boiler
may be closed with a domed end, or it may be merely slightly curved
or arched, or it may be quite flat if properly stayed. In some cases,
when the additional height can be afforded, we prefer to add a "steam
dome" or steam chest, the steam being taken therefrom, by which
means it is drawn off in a dryer condition and priming is also prevented.
Within the said external cylindrical skin and water case or shell the
inner cylindrical or conical pendant vessel is fitted concentric with
the external skin or shell, as before described, and it is fixed to the
inner dome or crown of the latter, and it thus forms a water space up
to the level of the crown of the flame box or combustion chamber of
the boiler, above which the level of the water must at all times be
maintained. This inner cylindrical vessel is closed at the top either
by a domed or arched end or crown plate below the low water level
of the boiler, and although we prefer to make the crown plate of the
inner vessel on the same horizontal line with the dome or crown to
which it is fitted, it may be either above or below it. This internal
vessel may be securely stayed to the dome or arched top of the external
skin or shell of the boiler, or to the steam chest thereon; or, instead
of the domed form of top, it may be a flat crown plate, and in most cases
we prefer to so make it.
The two main parts of the boiler, namely, the fire-box portion, which
is also the combustion chamber, and the external portion or portions,
or the body of the boiler, being thus separately constructed, the latter
is, when the boiler is being put together, placed over the former, and

page_text: the water space of the fire-box is connected all round at the top thereof
(by means of a series of vertical tubes), with the domed top or crown
of the body of the boiler and with the outer portion forming the
external water space and steam delivering area, and so the whole of
the water spaces of the boiler are connected together and free circulation
established. The bottom of the fire-box water space and the bottom
of the external or main water space of the boiler are each separately
connected together by rivetting or bolting to a flauged ring. At the
centre of the inner crown of the body of the boiler we prefer in con-
structing it in practice to form a circular opening, and into it we insert
and suspend the hollow cylindrical vessel having an annular water
space (formed by the combination of two tubes or rings of different
diameters connected by means of a ring at their lower ends), the inner
ring or tube having a cover or dome plate to close it at some convenient
portion of its height, and so form the combined inner combustion
chamber and steam generator, as herein-before described. Around the
circumference of this vessel and near to the upper end thereof the two
rings or tubes are connected together by means of a series of horizontal
tubes, through which the heated products of combustion are caused
to pass from the interior of the combustion chamber to the tubular
chamber under the dome or crown, and so to the down passage or
outer annular flue leading to the chimney. This inner pendant portion
of the boiler (when the two portions of the boiler are brought together)
is therefore suspended over the furnace and within and extending down
to any convenient distance into the fire-box; the heating surface is
thus considerably increased, and the said hollow cylindrical vessel or
annular receiver forms the central water space. The inner crown of
the flame box may be secured or stayed to the external shell or dome
(or top of the boiler) in any convenient manner. The fuel is fed in
from or through a passage or passages cut through the sides of the
several concentric cylinders or rings of the boiler, and a fire-door is
fitted to the outer end of each passage or opening. The furnace and
combustion chamber being large wood fuel may be employed as the
combustible instead of coal. The products of combustion from the fire
pass up to the top of the fire-box, and are then caused to turn over and
downwards, as before described, and thus pass between the water tubes,
and so descend between the outer side of the fire-box portion and the
inner cylinder or body part of the boiler until they arrive at the bottom

page_text: of the external water space, when they may be led into a flue sur-
rounding the lower part of the boiler, or otherwise as may be found
more convenient. The chimney may rise up on the outside shell, and
thus the boiler (which we prefer to coat or cover with suitable non-
conducting composition) is adapted for use as an independent boiler
requiring no brickwork or other setting. When preferred, however,
the flue may be led away laterally to a main flue or to a chimney stack.
The feed water may be pumped into the boiler by means of a circulating
pump, or by means of any other suitable apparatus, and so, by forming
an annular flue to surround the lower part of the boiler, it may thus
be provided with a water circulating space, receiver, or jacket, and be
utilized as a feed water heater auxiliary or supplementary to the main
water spaces of the boiler, with which it may be connected or dis-
connected at pleasure.
In the land and marine boilers constructed according to the present
Invention sufficient room is left between the two cylinders forming the
main flue space to allow of the surfaces being swept and of repairs
being effected. The water spaces are also sufficiently large to allow of
free circulation and free ebullition of the water. The combustion
chamber may be extended to beyond the fire-box proper by the intro-
duction of atmospheric air through pipes leading from below the
fire-grate and passing up to, and the air being emitted at, the top of
the annular space between the external water space and the smoke-box
water space.
In some cases, say, for instance, in boilers of small size suitable for
steam yachts and such like purposes, the fire-box water space may be
formed of copper or steel, and in other cases the central pendant portion
may be formed of copper, or the whole boiler for special purposes may
be formed of copper.
For boilers of small size, such as for small steam yachts, steam fire-
engines, and like purposes, where the rapid generation of steam is of
primary importance an increase in the amount of taper or couical form
may be given to the internal water space surrounding the furnace, and
the central pendant vessel or annular water space over the furnace may
be connected thereto by a series of horizontal tubes or radial ducts, to
which a more rapid and thorough circulation of the water contained
within the several parts of the vessels above and surrounding the furnace

page_text: is effected.
The top portion of the boiler also may be made hemi-
spherical, and by means of a flanged joint and bolts and nuts be readily
detached from the main portion of the boiler to allow of access being
had to the interior to enable the cleansing of the boiler and repairs to be
readily effected.
For effecting the "blowing out" of the boiler pipes may be led down
the internal water space and be connected at the external shell of the
boiler by suitable branches and cocks so as to insure keeping the
water spaces free from deposit in the event of using very foul or muddy
water. The formation of the fire-door opening in the external con-
centric water space may be made such as to allow of free access being
had to the mud hole doors formed at the foot of the internal water
spaces.
The steam take-off pipe" is indicated in the several Drawings
hereunto annexed by the pipe tinted red.
In some cases, with a view to provide further against "priming "
the portion of the top of the boiler surrounded by the steam dome or
chest may be perforated with a series of holes instead of there being
merely one large opening of the diameter of steam dome or steam chest.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings,―
In Sheet 1, Figures 1 and 2 shew a high-pressure marine boiler
constructed according to the present Invention; these views shew the
boiler with a feed water heater surrounding the flue belt at the base of
the boiler.
In Sheet 2, Figures 3 and 4 shew a high-pressuro land boiler; no
feed water heater is shewn to this, as increased height is given for steam
and water room, and the steam dome or chest is also thus rendered
unnecessary.
In the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, Sheet 1 illustrates the
application of our present Invention to the construction of a high-
pressure marine boiler, Figure 1 being a vertical sectional view of
Figure 2 taken on the line C, D, thereof; and Figure 2 being a hori-
zontal sectional view taken on the line A, B, of Figure 1, by which
the interior construction and particularly the arrangement of the vertical
connecting tubes between the water spaces and the horizontal radial
tubes connecting the inner with the outer portions of the combustion.

page_text: chamber are shown. In these views a is the outer shell of the boiler;
b, the inner ring by which the external water space is formed; c, the
dome or crown of the furnace; d, e, the pendant hollow central vessel;
f, the rod by which it is stayed to the steam dome or steam chest g
surmounting the hemispherical top of the boiler; h, i, the cylindrical
and conical rings, which being combined together top and bottom, as
shown, form the hollow conical vessel surrounding the furnace and
forming the combustion chamber, at the base of which the furnace
bars k, k, rest upon bearers, whilst the upper end of the said conical
vessel is connected with the internal dome or 'crown plate c by means
of the screwed tubes 1, 1, 1, &c. A series of horizontally disposed radial
tubes m, m, passing through the annular water space of the internal
pendant vessel e, d, permit of the passage of the heated products of
combustion from the interior thereof. The feed water heater is shown
as surrounding the flue o at the base of the boiler. The feeding passage
or fire-door opening p and the furnace door q are shown in Figure 1,
whilst the up-draught passages and the down passages 8, 8, connected
with the horizontal flue t are likewise seen in section by reference to
Figure 1. The "take-off" steam pipe u is shown within the steam chest.
Sheet 2 illustrates the application of our present Invention to the
construction of a high-pressure stationary boiler; Figure 3 being a
vertical sectional view of Figure 4 taken on the line C, D; and Figure 4
is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line A, B, of Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference to those used in Figures 1 and 2 are thereon
employed to represent like or corresponding parts to those in Figures 1
and 2 of Sheet 1.
Having now described our said Invention, and the manner in which
the same may be carried into effect for the purposes herein set forth
and as shown in the several views on the two Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend
hereby to confine or restrict ourselves to the precise form or proportions
of the several parts which we have described or referred to herein, or
which we have delineated in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings;
neither do we propose to confine ourselves to the precise mode of
connecting or staying the several parts together which are shewn in
the Drawings hereunto annexed, as variations in and of and from these
may be made without departing from the main or essential features of

page_text: our said Invention; but what we consider to be novel, original, and
useful, and therefore claim as our Invention is, the constructing steam
boilers or steam generators substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Allibon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
WILLIAM HENRY SMITH,
19, Salisbury Street,
Strand.
GEORGE ALLIBON. (L.S.)