IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF STEAM AND WATER TIGHT JOINTS IN TUBULAR BOILERS, SURFACE CONDENSERS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE APPARATUS IN WHICH TUBES ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rudd Oswald, of Pallion High Yard,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF STEAM AND WATER TIGHT JOINTS IN
TUBULAR BOILERS, SURFACE CONDENSERS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE APPARATUS
IN WHICH TUBES ARE EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 5th January 1869, and dated the 9th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rudd Oswald
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th July 1868.
I, WILLIAM RUDD OSWALD, of Pallion High Yard, Sunderland, in
the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF STEAM AND WATER TIGHT
JOINTS IN TUBULAR BOILERS, SURFACE CONDENSERS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE
APPARATUS IN WHICH TUBES ARE EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of rings or short tubes of
compressed paper for the formation of steam and water tight connections
between tubes and plates, such as are used in surface condensers, and
all such apparatus in which tubes are employed for conveying water,
steam, air, or other fluids or gases through enclosed chambers from

page_text: which it is essential that such water, steam, air, or other fluids or gases
should be excluded. For this purpose the circular holes in the plates
into which the tubes are to be fitted are made of a larger diameter than
the outside diameter of the tubes, and into the annular spaces thus
formed are placed rings or short tubes of compressed paper, the length
of which rather exceeds the thickness of the plate, and which in their
compressed state fit easily into the above mentioned annular spaces.
When steam, water, or any other fluid is afterwards admitted and comes
in contact with the rings or tubes of compressed paper these endeavour
to swell out, and thus the portion that is between the tube and the
plate is caused to press tightly against the same, whilst the portions
projecting beyond the plate swell out considerably and form a shoulder
on either side of the plate and constitute thus a perfectly water or steam
tight joint. In cases where neither water nor steam are brought into
contact with the compressed paper rings these may be impregnated
when in their place with oil or any other substance that will cause
them to expand. The before mentioned paper rings or tubes are in the
first instance made to a somewhat larger outside diameter than the
diameter of the hole in the plate, the internal diameter being the same
as the external diameter of the tubes of the condenser. They are then
placed upon a mandril the exact size of the tube of the condenser or
other apparatus, which mandril passes through a gradually contracting
circular die, the smallest diameter of which corresponds with the
diameter of the hole in the plate of the condenser; the paper ring or
tube is then forced forward on the mandril, and in passing through the
above named die it becomes gradually compressed, until on issuing from
the die its exterior diameter is equal to that of the hole in the plate of
the condenser, into which it is to be placed as herein-before described.
These rings or tubes of paper may be compressed by any other suitable
contrivance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Rudd Oswald in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RUDD OSWALD, of Pallion High Yard, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Rudd Oswald, Her special licence
that I, the said William Rudd Oswald, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Rudd Oswald, my
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
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF STEAM AND WATER TIGHT JOINTS IN
TUBULAR BOILERS, SURFACE CONDENSERS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE APPARATUS IN
WHICH TUBES ARE EMPLOYED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William. Rudd Oswald, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, 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 William Rudd Oswald, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in the application of rings or short tubes of
compressed paper for the formation of steam and water tight connections
between tubes and plates, such as are used in surface condensers, and
all such apparatus in which tubes are employed for conveying water,
steam, air, or other fluids or gases through enclosed chambers from
which it is essential that such water, steam, air, or other fluids or
gases should be excluded. For this purpose the circular holes in the
plates into which the tubes are to be fitted are made of a larger
diameter than the outside diameter of the tubes, and into the annular
spaces thus formed are placed rings or short tubes of compressed paper,
the length of which rather exceeds the thickness of the plate, and which
in their compressed state fit easily into the above mentioned annular
spaces. When steam, water, or any other fluid is afterwards admitted

page_text: and comes in contact with the rings or tubes of compressed paper these
endeavour to swell out, and thus the portion that is between the tube
and the plate is caused to press tightly against the same, whilst the
portions projecting beyond the plate swell out considerably and form a
shoulder on either side of the plate, and constitute thus a perfectly
water or steam tight joint. In cases where neither water nor steam are
brought into contact with the compressed paper rings these may be
impregnated when in their place with oil or any other substance that
will cause them to expand. The before mentioned paper rings or
tubes are in the first instance made to a somewhat larger outside
diameter than the diameter of the hole in the plate, the internal
diameter being the same as the external diameter of the tubes of the
condenser. They are then placed upon a mandril the exact size of the
tube of the condenser or other apparatus, which mandril passes through
a gradually contracting circular die, the smallest diameter of which
corresponds with the diameter of the hole in the tube plate; the paper
ring or tube is then forced forward on the mandril, and in passing
through the above named die it becomes gradually compressed, until on
issuing from the die its exterior diameter is equal to that of the hole in
the plate of the condenser, into which it is to be placed as herein-before
described. Or rings or tubes of compressed paper might be produced
by any other suitable contrivance, as, for instance, when forming a ring
or tube by winding paper around a mandril the paper might first be
wrapped around a mandril with sufficient pressure to compress the
paper as it is being made up into a ring or tube, a roller being caused
to bear against the paper at the time that it is being wound up around
the mandril.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed Figures 1 and 2 show a side and
end view of one of these rings or tubes of paper before having been
compressed on the mandril; it is made up of paper wound around a
mandril, the several layers of paper being cemented together with
paste or other cement. Figures 3 and 4 show a side and end view
after compression. The compressing I prefer to effect by drawing the
ring or tube through a die whilst it is supported internally by a mandril
as above stated; the compressing is effected after that the rings or
tubes as made up upon the mandril have become perfectly dry. At

page_text: inserted, and Figure 6 shows the same after the ring or tube C has
been saturated with moisture, whereby it is caused to press tightly
against both the plate A and tube B, and at the ends where it is not
confined by the plate A the ring or tube C swells out and forms
shoulders on either side of the plate, by which the joint is rendered
perfectly water or steam tight; should the paper ring or tube become
defective or leaky it is easily replaced. In some cases it is advantageous
to cover the paper rings with a preservative coating of india-rubber, and
I use by preference for this purpose a tube of thin vulcanized india-
rubber stretched over the exterior of the ring or the rings might be
covered with linen or with other coating, or they might be coated with
preservative solutions. The covering is not allowed to extend over the
ends of the rings for the purpose of letting the steam or water come
into contact with the paper.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rudd Oswald, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.