IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOUR.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, of Tew Park, in
the County of Oxford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOUR.'
"
RATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOUR."
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Piers Watt
Boulton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th February 1875.
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON, of Tew Park, in the County of
Oxford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOUR," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the generation of steam or vapour by means
of rotary apparatus which brings the liquid to be evaporated and the
heating gases or agents into contact with the same surface, thereby
enabling the heat to act more directly than when it has to pass to the
liquid through the materials of the vessel containing it.

page_text: -
In the following description I shall suppose the liquid acted on to be
water I provide a cylinder, within which I place a hollow vessel
capable of revolving, which I shall term the rotary generator, occupying
a portion of the interior of the cylinder. A flow of heated water is
maintained through the generator, which for that purpose communicates
at each end through a hollow axis with a vessel containing heated water.
Through that portion of the cylinder which is not occupied by the rotary
generator I cause heated gases or products of combustion to pass so as
to impart heat to the interior surface of the cylinder. The generator
carries a hollow arm or several hollow arms, the faces of which work in
contact with the interior surface of the cylinder.
In the following description I shall speak of one arm only, but the
construction described is applicable to any number of similar arms :—
:-In
the face of the hollow arm which is presented towards the interior surface
of the cylinder I provide a central space open in front towards the
cylinder, and surround it by packing, which-may be of fibrous material,
or of any material suitable for packing capable of absorbing water. I
provide numerous apertures at the back and sides of the packing, so that
water from the generator can flow into it. The water thus supplied
keeps the packing moist, and as this moist packing is moved by the
revolution of the generator along the heated surface of the cylinder
steam is generated, which issues into the central space in the front of
the arm through the apertures provided for that purpose, and is con-
ducted away by a pipe up the hollow axis of the generator, and through
the water in the interior to a steam space above it. From this it is
conveyed to be utilised in any manner desired. The quantity of water
allowed to pass to the side of the cylinder through the packing is regu-
lated so that no more is allowed to come in contact with the side of the
cylinder than is evaporated within the arm. Accordingly a larger
portion of water is admitted to the packing on the front side of the arm
which comes first in contact with the heated side of the cylinder. Thus
the hinder part of the packing is constantly being dried on its surface.
next the cylinder and its final portion in contact with the cylinder should
be completely dry, so that no film of water may be left behind it on the
cylinder to cause useless evaporation and loss of heat. The hinder part
of the packing where it is kept dry for the reason above explained may be
lubricated by steatite.

page_text: cylinder through the packing as in the construction previously described
a portion of it may be introduced in other ways. For instance, a portion
of it may be introduced through an arm leading it up to the side of the
cylinder in the space between the two packings. The steam thus
generated may rise through the water in the generator into that in the
exterior vessel, and through that to the steam space; otherwise a portion
of the water might be introduced to the side of the cylinder by jets
striking against its side in the central space between the two packings;
also water may be brought in contact through hollow arms constructed
in the manners above described with both ends of the cylinder. A
jacket or annular vessel containing water may be placed outside the
cylinder so as to receive heat through the metal of the cylinder and
assist in the heating of the water and the generation of steam. Such a
jacket, serves conveniently as a passage for the circulation of the water.
The steam generated in the jacket may be collected in the same space as
that generated in the rotary generator.
For the supply of water and regulation of pressure of steam the
known contrivances used in ordinary boilers may be employed.
The form of the rotary generator may be varied in many ways. It
may consist of a cylindrical vessel of less diameter than tho external
cylinder with the before-described arm or arms projecting therefrom.
The water is caused to flow through this cylindrical vessel, and a portion
of it is introduced into the arm as previously described. The interior of
the generator may with advantage be occupied by a hollow core for the
sake of lightness. The hot gases passed through the space between the
generator and the cylinder, and besides heating the internal surface of
the cylinder they also heat the water in the generator through the metal
of its sides, otherwise the rotary generator may consist of the said arm
communicating at top and bottom with two chambers, which are also
made to communicate with each other by numerous tubes so as to con-
stitute a tubular boiler. In this way a larger surface of water is exposed
to the action of the heated gases. Generally I prefer to slope the upper
end of the generator upwards towards the axis in order to facilitate the
passage of the steam. I generally prefer to place helical passages at
either end of the cylinder in which the rotary gencrator works for
leading the gases into it or for conducting them away after their heat has
been utilised. In this case the rotary generator in revolving acts like

page_text: the blades of a helical pump, and produces a draught or current through
the passages and cylinder, thus assisting the action of the chimney or
other means employed to produce the draught.
The fuel employed in the furnace to produce the heated gases which
act in the cylinder may be of any kind, solid, liquid, or gaseous.
When the products of combustion contain dust or suspended impurities
it is desirable to cleanse them as far as possible from these before they
enter the cylinder, for which purpose any of the known methods may be
employed; also a scraper may be fitted in advance of the arm of the
generator so as to clean the surface of the cylinder from dust or grit,
and the matter thus scraped off may be collected in a pocket or recep-
tacle at the lower end of the cylinder, whence it can from time to time
be removed.
Instead of water any other liquid may be evaporated by means of
apparatus such as above described. Thus when an engine of great power
in proportion to weight is wanted it may be used to convert into vapour a
liquefied gas. In such a case the store whence this liquid is supplied
may be kept in a partially solidified state at the atmospheric pressure in
a light vessel maintained at an exceedingly low temperature, as I have
described more particularly in a Provisional Specification filed by me on
the 17th day of February 1875, No. 574.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
PIERS WATT BOULTON, of Tew Park, in the County of Oxford, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, Her
special license that I, the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, my exe-

page_text: cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthew
Piers Watt Boulton, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOUR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthew Piers
Watt Boulton, 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 Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the generation of steam or vapour by means
of rotary apparatus, which brings the liquid to be evaporated and the
heating gases or agents into contact with the same surface, thereby
enabling the heat to act more directly that when it has to pass to the
liquid through the materials of the vessel containing it.
In the following description I shall suppose the liquid acted on to be
water:-I provide a cylinder within which I place a hollow vessel
capable of revolving, which I shall term the rotary generator, occupying.
a portion of the interior of the cylinder. A flow of heated water is main-
tained through the generator, which for that purpose communicates at
each end through a hollow axis with a vessel containing heated water.
Through that portion of the cylinder which is not occupied by the rotary
generator I cause heated gases or products of combustion to pass, so as
to impart heat to the interior surface of the cylinder. The generator
carries a hollow arm or several hollow arms, the faces of which work in
contact with the interior surface of the cylinder.
In the following description I shall speak of one arm only, but the

page_text: construction described is applicable to any number of similar arms:-In
the face of the hollow arm which is presented towards the interior
surface of the cylinder I provide a central space open in front towards
the cylinder and surrounded by packing, which may be of fibrous
material or of any material suitable for packing capable of absorbing
water. I provide numerous apertures at the back and sides of the
packing, so that water from the generator can flow into it. The water
thus supplied keeps the packing moist, and as this moist packing is
moved by the revolution of the generator along the heated surface of the
cylinder steam is generated, which issues into the central space in the
front of the arm through the apertures provided for that purpose, and is
conducted away by a pipe up the hollow axis of the generator and
through the water in the exterior vessel to a steam space above it. From
this it is conveyed to be utilized in any manner desired. The quantity
of water allowed to pass to the side of the cylinder through the packing
is regulated so that no more is allowed to come in contact with the side
of the cylinder than is evaporated within the arm. Accordingly a larger
portion of water is admitted to the packing on the front side of the arm
which comes first in contact with the heated side of the cylinder. Thus
the hinder part of the packing is constantly being dried on its surface
next the cylinder, and its final portion in contact with the cylinder
should be completely dry, so that no film of water may be left behind it
on the cylinder to cause useless evaporatian and loss of heat. The
hinder part of the packing, where it is kept dry for the reason above
explained, may be lubricated by steatite.
Instead of introducing the whole of the water to the side of the
cylinder through the packing, as in the construction previously described,
a portion of it may be introduced in other ways. For instance, a portion
of it may be introduced through an arm leading it up to the side of the
cylinder in the space between the two packings. The steam thus gene.
rated may rise through the water in the generator into that in the
exterior vessel, and through that to the steam space; otherwise a portion
of the water might be introduced to the side of the cylinder by its
striking against its side in the central space between the two packings
as water may be brought in contact through hollow arms constructed
in the manner above described with both ends of the cylinder. A jacket
or annular vessel containing water may be placed outside the cylinder so
as to receive heat through the metal of the cylinder and assist in the

page_text: heating of the water and the generation of steam. Such a jacket serves
conveniently as a passage for the circulation of the water. The steam
generated in the jacket may be collected in the same space as that gene-
rated in the rotary generator.
For the supply of water and regulation of pressure of steam the known
contrivances used in ordinary boilers may be employed.
The form of the rotary generator may be varied in many ways. It
may consist of a cylindrical vessel of less diameter than the external
cylinder with the before described arm or arms projecting therefrom.
The water is caused to flow through this cylindrical vessel, and a portion
of it is introduced into the arm, as previously described. The interior of
the generator may with advantage be occupied by a hollow core for the
sake of lightness. The hot gases pass through the space between the
generator and the cylinder, and besides heating the internal surface of
the cylinder they also heat the water in the generator through the metal
of its sides. Otherwise the rotary generator may consist of the said arm
communicating at top and bottom with two chambers, which are also
made to communicate with each other by numerous tubes so as to
constitute a tubular boiler. In this way a larger surface of water is
exposed to the action of the heated gases. Generally I prefer to slope
the upper end of the generator upwards towards the axis in order to
facilitate the passage of the steam. I generally prefer to place helical
passages at either end of the cylinder in which the rotary generator
works for leading the gases into it or for conducting them away after their
heat has been utilised. In this way the rotary generator in revolving
acts like the blades of a helical pump and produces a draught or current
through the passages and cylinder, thus assisting the action of the
chimney or other means employed to produce the draught.
The fuel employed in the furnace to produce the heated gases which
acts in the cylinder may be of any kind, solid, liquid, or gaseous.
When the products of combustion contain dust or suspended impurities
it is desirable to cleanse them as far as possible from these before they
enter the cylinder, for which purpose any of the known methods may be
employed. Also a scraper may be fitted in advance of the arm of the
generator so as to clean the surface of the cylinder from dust or grit, and
the matter thus scraped off may be collected in a pocket or receptacle at
the lower end of the cylinder, whence it can from time to time be
removed.

page_text: Instead of water any other liquid may be evaporated by means of
apparatus such as above described. Thus when an engine of great
power in proportion to weight is wanted it may be used to convert into
vapour a liquefied gas. In such a case the store whence this liquid is
supplied may be kept in a partially solidified state at the atmospheric
pressure in a light vessel maintained at an exceedingly low temperature
as I have described more particularly in a Provisional Specification filed
| bv me on the 17th day of February 1875, No. 574.

page_text: surface being heated by the passage of the products of combustion from
the pipe a¹ through the space between the arms of the generator to the
pipe a; the film of moisture laid on it by the packing P¹ generates
steam, which collects in the space S and is conveyed by the pipe 8¹ to
the steam space above W¹.
The hinder packing P serves to prevent communication between the
space 8 and the exterior of the generator on the left side. A portion of
water may be evaporated in this packing, holes t, t, being provided in
its casing, through which steam generated within it passes into the
space S. Otherwise all the water may be evaporated in front of this
packing, which may work without liquid lubricant, any of the known
forms of packing suitable for this purpose being employed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim, the use for generating
steam or vapour of a rotary generator or vessel, through which the liquid
to be evaporated is caused to circulate, portions of that liquid being
brought by the rotation successively and continuously into direct contact
with the surface of a cylinder in which the generator is caused to
revolve, and through which hot products of combustion are made to pass,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
T
DANT MON