Improvements in and connected with Boilers or Generators for Steam and other Vapours.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Boilers or Generators for
Steam and other Vapours.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Senior, and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Junior,
both of the Orleans Boat House, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineers and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in
the City of London, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements which are applicable to boilers or
generators for generating steam from water for motive power engines or for other
purposes, and to generators for generating gas or vapour from hydrocarbon or other
oils or liquids for use in motive power engines, or for combustion in burners or
otherwise for heating purposes.
The improvements are more especially applicable to boilers or generators of the
kind known as tubulous, that is to say, to boilers or generators in which the liquid
to be evaporated is contained inside tubes while being subjected to heat applied to
the outside of such tubes. When these tubes are made small in order to divide the
liquid into very small portions in proportion to the heating surface exposed to the
action of the fire, the liquid in the upper part of the tube is liable to be driven.out
of the tube by the vapour generated in the lower part thereof. To obviate this
defect we make the tubes tapering, that is to say, increasing in diameter from the
lower end where they join the collector, to the upper end where they join the steam,
or other vapour collector. By this means the liquid and vapour as they rise in the
tube and expand in volume as they become heated, find more room and their
velocity is proportionally reduced so that the liquid becomes disengaged from the
vapour and falls back into the tube without being ejected therefrom as heretofore.
In boilers or generators of this kind it is important to have an easy and
convenient method of removing a tube in the event of an accident happening to it
and of replacing it with a new one. For this purpose we employ a special
coupling for connecting the tubes to the receivers. This coupling consists of a
screw union which takes over the end of the tube, which latter is flared or bell
mouthed to fit on to the conical end of a short branch formed with or secured to
the collector or other vessel to which the tube is to be attached. The end of this
branch is screwed to suit the union and when the latter is screwed on to it the bell
mouthed end of the tube is pressed firmly against the conical end of the branch so
as to make a perfectly tight joint therewith but which can be readily disconnected
when it is required to remove a tube.
A further improvement which is more especially applicable to generators for
producing gas or vapour from hydrocarbon oil or other similar liquid, consists of
the following arrangement of apparatus:- -What may be called a separating vessel
is provided of cast iron or other suitable metal preferably of cylindrical form with
rounded ends. At or about the centre of this vessel is a part, preferably of conical
form, adapted to have connected thereto by screw couplings or otherwise the upper
ends of a number of bent tubes, the lower ends of which are similarly secured in a
ring or otherwise-shaped collector placed at a suitable distance below the aforesaid
separating vessel. The bottom of the said separating vessel is connected with the
aforesaid collector by one or more pipes. A pipe from the top of the said
separating vessel leads the vapour away to the burner or other point where it is to
be used. The above described apparatus is enclosed in a suitable casing within
which the gas burner or other heating appliance is placed so as to heat the
aforesaid separating vessel, the tubes descending from it to the collector ring and
in some cases the collector ring itself. It is preferable however that the pipes

page_text: leading from the bottom of the vessel to the collector ring should not be enclosed
within the enclosing casing, but that they should remain external thereto in order
to facilitate circulation of the liquid as will be hereafter explained.
The liquid to be evaporated is introduced first into the collecting ring and rises
up in the pipes connecting the said ring to the separating vessel (which pipes are
preferably bent inwards in order to facilitate their heating by the hot gases from
the fire). As the said liquid rises in the pipes it becomes heated and more or less
vapourized. On reaching the separating vessel the heated liquid and the vapour
are projected downwards towards the bottom of the said vessel whence the liquid
returns to the collecting ring through the cool pipes outside the casing while the
vapour rises to the top of the vessel and passes off by the pipe at the top to the
point where it is to be used.
The supply of liquid to the collecting ring is regulated by a float contained in a
regulating chamber which is connected at top and bottom with the beforementioned
separating vessel so as to equalize the pressures in the regulating chamber and in
the separating vessel. The aforesaid float rises and falls with the liquid in the
regulating chamber and in so doing acts on a lever which opens and closes a
suitable cock or valve which regulates the supply of liquid from the storage tank
to the said regulating chamber automatically according to requirements. A slit in
one side of the aforesaid regulating chamber covered by a plate of mica, thick
glass, or other suitable transparent material, enables the level of the liquid in the
chamber to be verified.
A portion of the vapour issuing from the upper part of the separating vessel may
be utilized in the gas burner by which the apparatus is heated, and this burner
may be of any suitable kind; but whatever burner is employed we prefer to use in
connection therewith an automatic arrangement, whereby the supply of gas or
vapour to the burner is regulated according to the pressure of the vapour in the
separating vessel. This may be effected by means of a diaphragm arranged in
connection with the separating vessel so that as the pressure of the vapour in the
said vessel increases, the diaphragm closes a tap or valve more or less and reduces
the supply of vapour to the burner, whereby the production of vapour in the
apparatus is reduced until the pressure of vapour therein falls to a certain point
when the diaphragm is returned by a spring or otherwise and opens the tap or valve,
increasing the supply of vapour to the burner.
The apparatus last above described, though specially applicable for the produc-
tion of gas or vapour from hydrocarbon oils, may be used for the production of
steam from water.
In tubulous steam boilers or generators in which the quantity of water contained
in them is comparatively small it is extremely important to maintain the level of
the water as constant as possible. For this purpose we employ an automatic feed
water regulator of the following character:-A vessel of any suitable shape is
provided and fixed at the water level of the boiler; the upper end of this vessel is
connected with the steam space of the boiler and the lower end thereof with the
lower part of the water space so that there is an equilibrium of pressure in the
vessel and in the boiler and the water stands at the same level in both. A float in
the vessel rises and falls with the water contained therein and operates a slide valve
fitted in the upper part of such vessel. This valve governs two ports the
upper of which leads to a self starting feed pump and the lower of which
leads to a regulating weighted or spring-urged plunger or piston which
operates the tap or valve of the gas burner by which the boiler is heated.
the water level falls, the float falls also and uncovers the upper port, steam then
passes to the feed pump and sets it in motion and feed is introduced, but if from
any cause the feed pump fails to start or fails to force water into the boiler and the
water level falls still lower, the lower port uncovered and steam passes to the
aforesaid plunger or piston and causes it to shut off gas from the burner and
thereby to prevent the generation of any more steam until the defect has been
remedied. When the water level rises again the float rises also and closes the
If now

page_text: lower steam port, shutting off steam from the aforesaid plunger or piston which
then opens the gas valve and allows the evaporation to proceed. On the other
hand if the water level rises too high, the float rises still higher and closes the
upper steam port thereby stopping the feed pump and consequently the delivery of
feed water to the boiler.
H. A. HOUSE,
H. A. HOUSE, JUNR.,
R. R. SYMON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Boilers or Generators for
Steam and other Vapours.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Senior, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Junior, both
of the Orleans Boat House, Teddington in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineers, and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in the City of
London, Gentleman, 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 reference being had to the accompanying sheet
of drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements which are applicable partly to boilers or
generators for generating steam from water for motive power engines or for other
purposes and partly to generators for generating gas or vapour from hydrocarbon
or other oils or liquids for use in motive power engines or for combustion in burners
or otherwise for heating purposes.
The improvements are more especially applicable to boilers or generators of the
kind known as tubulous, that is to say to boilers or generators in which the liquid
to be evaporated is contained inside tubes while being subjected to heat applied
to the outside of such tubes. When these tubes are made small in order to divide
the liquid into very small portions in proportion to the heating surface exposed to
the action of the fire the liquid in the upper part of the tube is liable to be
driven out by the vapour generated in the lower part thereof leaving the said
upper part of the tube more or less empty for the time being. To obviate this
defect we make the tubes tapering that is to say increasing in diameter from the
lower ends where they join the water collectors, to the upper ends where they join
the steam or other vapour collectors.
In the annexed sheet of drawings Figure 1 is an end view of a steam boiler of
the kind above mentioned (with the usual external casing removed) provided
with taper tubes in accordance with the invention. A are the tapering tubes
the smaller ends of which are secured in the water collectors B and the larger
ends in the steam collector C. By this means the liquid and vapour as they rise
in the tubes A and expand in volume as they become heated find more room and
their velocity is proportionally reduced so that the liquid becomes disengaged from
the vapour and falls back into the tube without being ejected therefrom as
heretofore.
In boilers or generators of this kind it is important to have an easy and con-
venient method of removing a tube in the event of an accident happening to it
and of replacing it with a new one. For this purpose we employ a special coupling
for connecting the tubes to the receivers. This coupling, as shown in Figures 2
and 3, consists of a screw union D which takes over the end of the tube A, which
latter is flared or bell mouthed at A' to fit on to the conical end E of a short
branch E' screwed into the plate B of the collector or other vessel to which the
tube is to be attached. The outer end of this branch is screwed to suit the

page_text: union D and when the latter is screwed on to it the bell mouthed end A¹ of
the tube A is pressed firmly against the conical end E of the branch E' so as to
make a perfectly tight joint therewith but which can be readily disconnected when
it is required to remove a tube.
In boilers and generators for producing steam from water, or gas or vapour
from hydrocarbon oil or other similar liquid, we regulate the supply of liquid to
the boiler or generator by the apparatus shown in elevation in Figure 4 and in
sectional plan in Figure 5 in which is a float contained in a regulating chamber G
which is connected at top and bottom by the pipes H H¹ respectively with the upper
and lower parts of the boiler or generator so as to equalize the pressures in the
chamber G and in the boiler or generator which latter is not shown in the
drawing in connection with Figures 4 and 5 as it may be of any well known con-
struction. The aforesaid float F rises and falls with the liquid in the regulating
chamber G, and in so doing acts on a lever I which opens and closes a suitable
cock or valve which regulates the supply of liquid from an elevated storage tank
through the pipe J to the said regulating chamber automatically according to
requirements. The regulating valve shown in the drawing consists of a disc K
mounted on an axis L turning in bearings in the division plate M and in the side of
the chamber in which the lever I operates. The lever I is secured to the axis L
so that as the float F rises and falls the disc K is rotated more or less on its centre.
The disc K is provided with holes K' and the division plate M with corresponding
holes M. A spring N acting through a spindle P tends to press the disc K
constantly against the division plate M preventing the passage of liquid from the
chamber Q into the chamber G when the holes K¹ in the disc K do not coincide
more or less with the holes M' in the division plate M. It will now be understood
that when the liquid in the regulating chamber G rises beyond a certain level the
float Fraises the lever I and turns the disc K as shown in Figure 4 so as to
close the communication between the chamber Q and chamber G through the
holes KM' and thus prevent the passage of more hydrocarbon liquid. Then as
the latter passes off by the pipe H to the generator the float F falls, lowering the
lever I, turning the disc K so as to bring the holes K¹ to coincide with the holes M¹
and thereby to admit a further supply of liquid from the supply pipe J to the
chamber G which raises the float and closes the valve K and so on as long as
the generator is kept at work. Should the pressure in the generator rise to an
abnormal extent by reason of too much hydrocarbon liquid having been introduced,
that pressure acts through the holes M' upon the face of the disc K and forces the
latter away from its seat against the action of the spring N so that the excess of
liquid can be forced back by such pressure through the supply pipe J to the
elevated reservoir from which it had been supplied. In the drawing the float Fis
connected to the lever I by means of a link which plays in an opening F' formed
through the float. A spindle F2 passing through a stuffing box on the top of
the chamber G serves to verify the position of the float F in the chamber G. A slit
in one side of the aforesaid regulating chamber covered by a plate of mica, thick
glass or other suitable transparent material may be employed to enable the level of
the liquid in the chamber to be verified; or any other suitable liquid level indicator
may be used for that purpose.
When a steam boiler or gas generator is heated by vapour of gas burnt in gas
burners placed in the furnace of the boiler or generator such burners may be of
any suitable kind; but whatever burner is employed we prefer to use in connection
therewith an automatic arrangement whereby the supply of gas or vapour to the
burner is regulated according to the pressure of the steam or vapour in the boiler
or generator. This may be effected by means of an expansible chamber or
diaphragm Gas shown in Figure 6 connected with the boiler or generator by a
pipe G so that as the pressure of the vapour in the said boiler or generator
increases, the expansible chamber or diaphragm G₁ is expanded and its connecting
rod or link G³ acts upon the gas tap or valve G₁ closing the same more or less by
means of a lever G° or other suitable device thereby reducing the supply of vapour

page_text: or gas to the burner whereby the production of steam or vapour in the boiler or
generator is reduced until the pressure of the steam or vapour therein falls to a
certain point when the expansible chamber or diaphragm G' is returned to its
normal condition by a tension spring G* or otherwise and opens the tap or
valve G increasing the supply of gas to the burner.
In tubulous steam boilers or generators in which the quantity of water contained
in them is comparatively small, it is extremely important to maintain the level of
the water as constant as possible. For this purpose we employ an automatic feed
water regulator of the kind shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 in which Figure 7 is a
vertical section taken on line 1-1 of Figure 8; Figure 8 a sectional elevation
taken on line 2-2 of Figure 7 and Figure 9 a sectional plau taken on line 3-3 of
Figure 7. This apparatus is also shown to a smaller scale applied to the boiler in
Figure 1.
A vessel of any suitable shape R is provided and fixed at the water level of the
boiler the upper end of this vessel is connected by a pipe R' with the steam
space C of the boiler and the lower end thereof by a pipe R2 with the lower part
of the water space so that there is an equilibrium of pressure in the vessel R and
in the boiler and the water stands at the same level in both. A float S in the
vessel R rises and falls with the water contained therein and operates by means of
a lever T and links T' T2, a slide valve U fitted to slide between guides U' in the
upper part of the vessel R. This valve U governs two ports V V₁ the upper of
which V leads by a pipe V2 to a self starting feed pump, not shown in the drawings,
and the lower of which V' leads by a pipe V³ to a regulating plunger or piston
working in a cylinder W against the resistance of a spring or weight which tends
constantly to move the said plunger or piston in one direction. This plunger or
piston operates the regulating tap or valve X, of the gas burners by which the
boiler is heated. If now the water level falls, the float S falls also, and lowers the
slide valve U, uncovering the upper port V; stean then passes by pipe V2 from
the vessel R to the feed pump and sets it in motion, and feed water is introduced
into the boiler or generator; but if from any cause the feed pump fails to start or
fails to force water into the boiler and the water level falls still lower, the float S
falls with it and the valve U is lowered still further whereby the lower port V¹ is
uncovered and steam passes by the pipe V³ to the cylinder W, acts upon the
plunger or piston therein and moves it forward against the opposing spring or
weight and causes it to shut the gas tap or valve X thereby cutting off more or
less completely gas from the burners and preventing the generation of any more
steam until the defect has been remedied. When the water level rises again the
float S rises also, carrying with it the slide valve U which closes the lower steam
port V, shutting off steam from the aforesaid cylinder W the plunger or piston in
which is then pressed back by its spring or weight and opens the gas valve X
allowing the evaporation to proceed. The steam behind the plunger or
piston W is allowed to escape, when the port V₁ is closed, through a weeping
hole or properly adjusted tap W₁. On the other hand if the water level rises
too high the float S rises still higher taking with it the slide valve U which
then closes the upper steam port V thereby stopping the feed pump and con-
sequently the further delivery of feed water to the boiler. The port through
the slide valve U corresponding to the port V is made wider than the port
V may
through the valve U corresponding to the port VI in order that the port
remain open however low the float may descend in the vessel R and until the
proper level of water has been restored in the said vessel. The float S may be
guided in its up and down movements by the pivotted arms Y or otherwise, and
more or less of its weight may be counterbalanced if required by a spring S¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In tubulous boilers or generators the use of taper heating tubes the

page_text: smaller and lower ends of which communicate with the water space and the larger
and upper ends of which communicate with the steam
or vapour space,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings
and for the purpose specified.
Second. The apparatus for regulating the supply of liquid to steam boilers or to
gas or vapour generators which consists of a closed chamber connected with the
boiler or generator, a rotatory inlet valve kept to its seat by a spring or other elastic
pressure and a float for actuating the said valve, combined, arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the
drawings.
Third. The apparatus for regulating the supply of gas or vapour to the burner
in the furnace of a steam boiler, or gas or vapour generator, according as the
pressure in such boiler or generator varies, which consists of an expansible chamber
or diaphragm communicating with such boiler or generator and acting upon the gas
tap or valve, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of
the drawings.
Fourth. The apparatus for maintaining the level of the water in boilers or
generators, which consists of a closed chamber connected with the boiler or
generator, a slide valve which governs two ports, and leading to a self-starting feed
pump, and the other to an apparatus for regulating the supply of gas to the gas
burners in the furnace of the boiler or generator, and a float for actuating the said
slide valve, combined, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1893.