IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel M°Dowell, of the City of Dublin, Ireland,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE
TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 18th December 1866, and dated the 17th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel M°Dowell at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th September 1866.
I, DANIEL MCDOWELL, of the City of Dublin, Ireland, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is applicable to cleaning the tubes of locomotive and other
steam engine boilers, and also of tubular boilers used for other purposes.
The Invention relates to that class of boiler tube cleaning apparatus.
wherein a jet of steam is used for the purpose of cleansing out the fire tubes...
This kind of apparatus has hitherto consisted of a nozzle pipe connected by
an india-rubber or other elastic tube to the steam chest. The principal
objections to this arrangement were that the elastic tube would not answer
for high-pressure steam, and could not be used whilst the furnace was in
active operation, and that when using the apparatus the whole weight of the
nozzle pipe had to be supported by the workman.

page_text: My Invention consists principally in connecting the nozzle pipe to the
steam chest or steam space of the boiler by means of a metallic pipe sup-
ported by a bracket fixed on the boiler in such a way that the whole weight
of the pipe and nozzle is borne by the bracket. The metallic pipe is made in
several lengths connected together by screwed sockets, so that although it is
inelastic it can be raised, lowered, and turned in any direction. In practice I
find that a very suitable and economical arrangement for this purpose is to
use lengths of the ordinary gas pipe connected by the ordinary screwed
elbow joints used in carrying such pipes round corners; any movement can
thus be obtained, the turning of the screwed ends of the pipes in the sockets
acting as universal joints. The pipe is furnished with a stop-cock near to its
connection with the boiler or steam chest, and the nozzle pipe is also pro-
vided with a stop-cock. The nozzle pipe may be used either in the smoke
box or the fire-box, a small auxiliary opening furnished with a sliding or
other door being provided in the ordinary door for that purpose, so that the
apparatus can be used without opening the door and whilst the furnace is
in active operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel McDowell in the Great Sea! Patent Office on the
15th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
MCDOWELL, of the City of Dublin, Ireland, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Daniel McDowell, Her special licence that I, the said Daniel
McDowell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said Daniel McDowell, 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-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Daniel McDowell, 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

page_text: 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 Daniel McDowell, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention is applicable to cleaning the tubes of locomotive and other.
engine boilers, and also of tubular boilers used for other purposes.
The Invention relates to that class of boiler tube cleaning apparatus wherein
a jet of steam is used for the purpose of cleansing out the fire tubes. This
kind of apparatus has hitherto consisted of a nozzle pipe connected by an
india-rubber or other elastic tube to the steam chest. The principal objections
to this arrangement were that the elastic tube would not answer for high-
pressure steam, and could not be used when the furnace was in active operation,.
and that when using the apparatus the whole weight of the nozzle pipe had to
be supported by the workman.
·
My Invention consists principally in connecting the nozzle pipe to the steam
chest or steam space of the boiler by means of a metallic pipe supported by a
bracket fixed on the boiler or smoke box in such a way that the whole weight
of the pipe and nozzle is borne by the bracket. The metallic pipe is made in
several lengths connected together by screwed sockets, so that although it is in-
elastic it can be raised or lowered and turned in any direction. In practice I find
that a very suitable and economical arrangement for this purpose is to use
lengths of ordinary gas pipe connected together by the ordinary screwed elbow
joints used in carrying such pipes round corners; any movement can thus
be obtained, the turning of the screwed ends of the pipes in the sockets acting
as universal joints. The pipe is furnished with a stop-cock near to its con-
nection with the boiler or steam chest, and the nozzle pipe is also provided
with a stop-cock. The nozzle pipe may be used either in the smoke box or
the fire-box, a small auxiliary opening furnished with a sliding or other
door being provided in the ordinary door for that purpose, so that the apparatus
can be used without opening the door, and whilst the furnace is in active
operation.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improved
Apparatus for Cleaning the Tubes of Steam Boilers," I will now proceed
to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be

page_text: performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be
distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing Figures 1 and 2 show the application of my
Invention to a locomotive engine, and Figures 2 and 3 show the same as
applied to a stationary multitubular boiler.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, is the smoke box; b, b, the tubes; c, c, the
chiminey; and d, d, the dome or steam chest; e, e, is a fixed metallic tube
attached to the steam chest and supported by the bracket f, f, fixed on the
smoke box. The end of this tube outside the bracket is connected by the
short tubes 9, 9, to the nozzle pipe h, h, the said tubes g, g, being connected
together and to the pipes e, e, and h, h, by means of the screwed elbow
joints i, i, so that the weight of the tube 9, 9, and the nozzle pipe h, h, is
borne by the bracket f, f, at the same time that the nozzle pipe can be.
directed to any of the tubes b, b, in the same manner as when an india-rubber
or other elastic tube is employed. The pipes e, e, and h, h, are provided with
stop-cocks k, k.
In Figures 3 and 4, a, a, is the smoke box; b, b, the tubes; c, c, the boiler;
d, d, the steam space; e, e, the fixed metallic tube; f, f, the bracket; g,g, the
short tubes; h, h, the nozzle pipe; i, i, the screwed elbow joints; and k, k, the
stop-cocks.
.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improved Apparatus for Cleaning the Tubes of Steam Boilers," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the improved apparatus shown in the Drawing and above described, or any
mere modification thereof, and especially I claim the supporting bracket f, f,
the metallic tubes e, e, and 9, 9, and the screwed elbow joints i, i.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel McDowell, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
DANIEL MODOWELL. (L.S.)