IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS AND IN THE GENERATION AND TREATMENT OF STEAM
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Mc Connell, of Wolverton, in the
County of Bucks, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM BOILERS AND IN THE GENERATION AND TREATMENT OF STEAM,"
Sealed the 5th August 1859, and dated the 9th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edward Mc Connell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th February 1859.
I, JAMES EDWARD MC CONNELL, of Wolverton, in the County of Bucks,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS AND IN THE GENERATION AND TREATMENT OF
STEAM," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, in the first place, to the so arranging and fitting up
the tubes or tubular draught thoroughfares of steam boilers, that the heated
currents of gaseous matter passing through them may be effectually com-
mingled and applied to thetube surface,so as to giveout a more useful heating
effect than has hitherto been the case. In fitting up the tubes of locomotive
or marine boilers according to this Invention, a series of annular, or partially
anuular discs or flattened rings are fitted at intervals within the tubes, so that
as the currents pass along they come in contact with these internally pro-
jecting surfaces or edges, and are thus deflected, and to a certain extent
retarded, and made to exercise a superior heating effect. Instead of using

page_text: complete disc rings it is preferred to use rings of a horse-shoe form,
that is open on one side. These horse shoe discs or partial rings are
made with a deep crown portion narrowed off towards each end at the
opening, the opening being next the bottom side of the tube, whilst the
crown bears against and supports the crown or upper side of the tube. These
discs or partial rings are passed into the tubes before the ferrules are put into
the ends, and they are made of such a size as to have a considerable spring or
elastic bearing against the interior of the tube, so that they are easily put in
and taken out. The ferrules themselves may also be made in a similar way.
They may be either of cast iron, wrought iron, or other metal. A thin central
rod is also passed along the centre of each tube for the purpose of carrying a
series of crossed or laterally disposed arms or deflecting pieces of metal, which
split up and break the gaseous current, and thus aid still further in causing
the heat to operate effectively upon the tubes. These details may be used
either separately or in combination.
This Invention relates also to a system or mode of superheating steam, so
as to obtain a superior working effect from it. In the smoke box of locomotive
and other engines, there is disposed a tubular or cellular steam-heating
chamber, through which the steam from the boiler is passed on its way to the
working cylinders. The regulator or steam valve is disposed between the
heating chamber and the cylinders, so that the working steam on its way to the
cylinders receives the full effect of the beat of the smoke-box. The barrel or
main body of the boiler has also fitted within it a flue tube running from the
fire-box tube plate to the smoke-box tube plate. This flue tube is surrounded
by another tube, leaving a narrow annular steam space between the two; a
pipe passes from this annular space to a regulator or valve in the steam,
chamber or receiver. This also affords the means of drying and superheating
the steam. The steam is admitted from the main body of the boiler to this
annular space by a valve worked either by hand or automatically. If auto-
matically arranged an internal valve answers for the admission of the steam
as it would operate in opening and closing in accordance with the difference
between the pressure of the steam in the body of the boiler and in the annular
space.. The steam from this annular space may be taken either directly to
the working cylinders or passed through the superheater.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Edward Mc Connell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDWARD MCCONNELL, of Wolverton, in the County of Bucks, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
'One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Edward Mc Connell, Her special license that I, the said James
Edward Mc Connell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Edward Mc Connell, my executors, administrators, or
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, AND IN THE GENERATION AND TREATMENT
or STEAM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Edward Mc Connell, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 James Edward Mc Connell, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates, in the first place, to the so arranging and fitting
up the tubes or tubular draft thoroughfares of steam boilers that the heated
currents of gaseous matter passing through them may be effectually com-
mingled and applied to the tube surface, so as to give out a more useful
heating effect than has hitherto been the case. In fitting up the tubes of
locomotive or marine boilers, according to this Invention, a series of annular
or partially annular discs or flattened rings, are fitted at intervals within the
tubes, so that as the currents pass along, they come in contact with these
internally projecting surfaces or edges, and are thus deflected and to a certain

page_text: extent retarded, and made to exercise a superior heating effect. Instead of
using complete disc rings, it is preferred to use rings of a horse-shoe form, that
is, open on one side. These horse-shoe discs or partial rings are made with a
deep crown portion, narrowed off towards each end at the opening, the
opening being next the bottom side of the tube, whilst the crown bears against
and supports the crown or upper side of the tube. These discs or partial
rings are passed into the tubes before the ferrules are put into the ends, and
they are made of such a size as to have a considerable spring or elastic bearing
against the interior of the tube, so that they are easily put in and taken out.
The ferrules themselves may also be made in a similar way. They may be
either of cast iron, wrought iron, or other metal. A thin central rod is also
passed along the centre of each tube, for the purpose of carrying a series of
crossed or laterally disposed arms or deflecting pieces of metal, which split up
and break the gaseous current, and thus aid still further in causing the heat
to operate effectually upon the tubes. These details may be used either
separately or in combination.
This Invention relates also to a system or mode of superheating steam, so
as to obtain a superior working effect from it. lu the smoke box of loco-
motive and other engines there is disposed a tubular or cellular steam-heating
chamber, through which the steam from the boiler is passed on its way to the
working cylinders. The regulator or steam valve is disposed between the
heating chamber and the cylinders, so that the working steam on its way to
the cylinders receives the full effect of the heat of the smoke box. The barrel
or main body of the boiler has also fitted within'it a flue tube, running from
the fire box tube plate to the smoke-box tube plate. This flue tube is sur-
rounded by another tube, leaving a narrow annular steam space between the
two. A pipe passes from this annular space to a regulator or valve in the
steam chamber or receiver. This also affords the means of drying and super-
heating the steam. The steam is admitted from the main body of the boiler
to this annular space by any suitable arrangement of valve, worked either by
hand or automatically. If automatically arranged, an internal valve would
answer for the admission of the steam, as it would operate in opening and
closing in accordance with the difference between the pressure of the steam
in the body of the boiler and in the annular superheating space. The steam
from this annular space may be taken either directly to the working cylinders
or passed through the cellular or other superheater in the uptake or smoke
box.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall

page_text: refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of a
locomotive boiler fitted with my present improvements; Figure 2 is a trans-
verse section of the sume, taken through the steam chamber or dome. The
rest of the Figures are details, which I shall hereafter more fully describe.
A is the outer shell of an ordinary locomotive boiler; B, the fire-box; C, the
sinoke-box; and D, D, the tubes. These tubes are shown on an enlarged
scale in the details, Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, and are fitted internally with
annular or partially annular discs or flattened rings or arms E, E, for the
purpose of retarding to a certain extent the draught, and of effectually com-
mingling the gaseous products of combustion passing through the tubes. In
place of complete rings I prefer to use a ring open on one side somewhat
after the form of a horse-shoe, as shewn in the transverse and longitudinal
detail, Figure 3, the open portion being next the bottom side of the tube, so
as not to interfere with the cleaning thereof. In some cases the rings or
partial rings, or other partial obstructions, may be fitted to a rod F, passing
longitudinally through the interior of the tubes, as shewn in Figure 4.
Figure 5 represents a series of arms E, in lieu of rings or partial rings, fitted
on to the rod F; and Figure 6 shews a similar arrangement, but with wider
arms, the arms forming quadrants of a circle, the internal diameter of which
corresponds to the internal diameter or bore of the tubes. When arms are
employed I prefer to dispose them in different circumferential positions round
the central rod F, so that the course of the gases may be as much broken as
possible, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. In Figures 1 and 2 I have also
illustrated my improvements in treating or superheating the steam before it
reaches the cylinders; for this purpose I propose to take the steam from the
steam chamber G by the pipe H, which conducts it to an annular steam space
I, formed by the concentric tubes K and L, which extend from the fire-box to
the smoke-box, as shewn. The inner one of these tubes L serves as a tubular
flue thoroughfare, and heats the steam considerably during its passage along
the annular space left between the inner and outer tubes, whence it passes by
the branch M into the steam supply pipe N, which leads either direct
to the cylinders or to a second superheating apparatus of a similar construction
to that referred to in the Specification of an Invention for which I obtained
Letters Patent on or about the Twenty-fourth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two, No. 14,182, but when such superheating appa-
ratus is employed, the regular or steam valve is to be placed between the

page_text: superheating chamber and the steam cylinders. I have not considered it
necessary to illustrate any particular mode of working the regulator in my
Drawings, as it will be obvious to the practical man that various means may
be adopted for working a regulator or steam valve so situated. It will be
necessary to employ a convenient arrangement of valves in the steam pipe
leading from the steam chamber to the annular superheating space, which will
open and close in accordance with the relative steam pressures in the body of
the boiler, and in the annular snperheating space.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is―
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for generating
and superheating steam, as herein-before described.
Second, the introduction into the tubes of steam boilers of a series of
annular or partially annular discs, or flattened rings, or radial arms, mounted
. or not on a central longitudinal rod, in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Third, the superheating steam by causing it to pass along an annular
.passage or chamber, through the interior of which the flame and products of
combustion pass along from the fire-box furnace or flame chamber to the
smoke-box or uptake, as herein-before described and illustrated in my
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edward Mc Connell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
J. E. Mc CONNELL. (L.S.)