IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, Agricultural Engineer, and Edward
Tenney Bousfield, Engineer, both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 11th January 1867.
We, JAMES HOWARD, Agricultural Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD,
Engineer, both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS,"
to be as follows:-.
This Invention relates to improvements on the tubular boiler for which we
obtained Patents, bearing date respectively January 23rd, 1866 (No. 226),
and July 10th, 1866 (No. 1811), the object being, first, to provide a more
effective circulation of the water in the vertical tubes of the various sections
of the boiler, and thereby to prevent or materially retard incrustation of the
tubes; and, 2dly, to provide a secure water-tight joint between the trans-
verse water tubes and the vertical tubes. In order to quicken the circulation
of the water we insert internal tubes of peculiar construction in the vertical
tubes and use them as channels for conducting.down the upper portion of the
water in the boiler to the horizontal pipes which connect with the lower ends
of the vertical tubes and constitute with a given length of those tubes the

page_text: water space of the boiler. These inner tubes we fix in a concentric position
in the main vertical tubes and cause them to rest on the bottom of the hori-
zontal tubes, and make them long enough to reach to the highest water level
of the boiler. The upper ends of these internal tubes we slit or pierce laterally
to a distance a little below the lowest water level of the boiler, and we so
form their lower ends that the water will have a free passage out at the
bottom of the tubes. The effect of this arrangement will be, to create a down-
ward current of the water at or near the water level (notwithstanding the
variation in that level) through the internal tubes, and a consequently increased
upward current outside those tubes; the deposit, therefore, while the boiler is
in action of the earthy and saline particles contained in the water, and the
consequent incrustation of the boiler, will be greatly retarded if not entirely
prevented. In order to remove the necessity for using elastie or other packing
for the bottom joints of the vertical tubes we propose to form the annular
recesses of the lower transverse pipes in which the vertical tubes are seated of
a tapered or V-section; the holling bolts will then, as they are screwed tight,
draw down the tubes into a contracted space and cause close contact between
the abutting surfaces; the like result may be obtained by tapering the end of
the tube and making the annular recesses square in cross section.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed.
by the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 11th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HOWARD, Agricultural Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, Engineer,
both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, Her special licence that
we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, 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 Invention, 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 I, the said Edward Tenney Bousfield, on behalf of
myself and of the said James Howard, do hereby declare the nature of our
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 Drawing hereunto annexed; and to the letters and.
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to improvements on the tubular boiler for which we
obtained Patents bearing date respectively January Twenty-third, One
thousand eight hundred sixty-six, (No. 226,) and July Tenth, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six, (No. 1811,) the object being, first, to provide a
more effective circulation of the water in the vertical tubes of the various
sections composing the boiler, and thereby to prevent or materially retard
incustration of the tubes, and, secondly, to provide a secure water-tight joint
between the transverse water tubes and the vertical tubes.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn our improvements as applied
to a land or stationary boiler, but they are equally applicable to marine
boilers constructed on the same tubular principle.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the boiler with our improved
means for maintaining therein under varying circumstances the circulation of
the water, and Fig. 2 is transverse section further illustrating the general
arrangement of the boiler; Fig. 3 is a partial transverse section on an
enlarged scale of the same boiler shewing the mode of coupling the vertical
and the transverse pipes, as well as the means for maintaining the circulation.
The boiler is composed of groups of vertical tubes A, which groups aro
formed by being connected together at top and bottom by transverse tubes or
pipes, and these transverse tubes or pipes are themselves. brought into con-
nection by means of longitudinal pipes, the upper longitudinal pipe forming
a steam chamber, and the lower pipe constituting a water supply pipe. The
boiler thus formed is shewn as mounted in a brick furnace, the roof of which
is formed of iron plates which cut off the upper transverse tubes and longi-
tudinal pipe from the action of the heated gases. In order to quicken the

page_text: circulation of the water we insert in the vertical tubes A internal tubes B of
peculiar construction, which form channels for conducting down the upper
portion of the water in the boiler to the horizontal pipes C; these pipes
connect with the lower ends of the vertical tubes A and constitute with a given
length of these tubes A the water space of the boiler. D is the water supply
pipe connected by short couplings with the several transverse pipes C, C;
the upper transverse pipes are shewn at E; they are connected by small
screwed tubes F with the vertical tubes A, and they severally connect with
the longitudinal pipe G, which is provided with a safety valve H and a dis-
charge pipe and valve I, Fig. 1; K is the fire-place, the flame and gases
from which pass under the transverse pipes C, which being set close together
serve to close the top of the fire-place and the flue L; when the flame and
gases of combustion reach the end of the flue they are turned and pass
back between and play around the tubes A; the unconsumed gases pass off
to the chimney by an opening at the front of the furnace, or they may be
returned to the back thereof if desired. The internal tubes B we fix in a
concentric position in the main vertical tubes A, and we cause them to rest
on the bottom of the horizontal tubes C, as shewn best at Fig. 3; these
internal tubes B we make long enough to reach to the highest water level of
the boiler (see Fig. 3) and their upper ends, which are open, we slit or
pierce laterally to a distance a little below the lowest water level of the
boiler ; the lower ends of the tubes B we form so that the water will have a
free passage out at the bottom of the tubes. The effect of this arrangement
will be to create a downward current of the water at or near the water level,
notwithstanding the variation in that level through the internal tubes, and a
consequently increased upward current outside those tubes, as indicated by
the arrows, Fig. 3; the deposit, therefore, while the boiler is in action, of
the earthy and saline particles contained in the water, and the consequent
incrustation of the boiler, will be greatly retarded if not entirely prevented.
In order to ensure tightness in the bottom joints of the vertical tubes we
provide for the contact surfaces being wedged together; to this end we form
the annular recesses of the lower transverse pipes C, in which the vertical
tubes A are seated, of a tapered or V section, or with the outer edge inclined,
as shewn at a, a, Fig. 3; the holding bolts b will as they are screwed tight
draw down the tubes into a contracted space and cause close contact between
the abutting surfaces. The like result may be obtained by tapering the end
of the tube and making the annular recesses square in cross section, as shewn
at C in Fig. 3.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of improvements in

page_text: tubular steam boilers, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we are aware of inner tubes having
been proposed for quickening the circulation of water in vertical tubular
boilers or separating the steam therefrom, but these have not, so far as we are
aware, provided for the circulation of the water throughout the whole depth
of the water space and irrespective of a differential water level; we do not,
therefore, claim the use of inner tubes of whatever construction for promoting
the circulation of the water, but we claim as of our Invention,―
First, the means above described for maintaining the circulation of the
water in tubular boilers.
Secondly, constructing the joints for the vertical transverse tubes in the
manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Tenney Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)