Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1887
Complete Left, 28th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cooling or heating
liquids gases, vapours and the like and its principle object is to heat and simultaneously
purify the feed water for steam boilers by conducting it across hollow plates heated by
steam, preferably the exhaust steam, passing through these plates: the impurities con-
tained in the water such as lime or the like will settle on the said plates and the feed-
water will thereby be purified.
In this apparatus is employed a series of hollow plates arranged side by side or
superposed and fixed together by screws or otherwise, or arranged in suitable vessels
or receptacles.
When the apparatus simply consists of superposed inclined hollow plates these
plates are provided with end frames covered with suitable packing material and
pressed together by suitable cover plates.
The frames being somewhat thicker than the hollow plates form passages between
the latter through which circulates the liquid to be heated, the frames are further pro-
vided with openings or passages registering with each other and with corresponding
openings in the plates for the circulation of the steam through the hollow plates.
The liquid to be heated passes through another series of passages from the surface of
one plate to another. The communication between the interior of the hollow plates
may be effected by pipes instead of the above mentioned passages. To enable the
water to flow slowly and the impurities to settle on the plates the openings through
the plates may be provided with a ring or ferrule which will always keep a certain
quantity of water standing on the plate or this may be effected by a pipe extending a
little higher than the surface of the plate. The rings may be provided with a down-
wardly projecting tube or extension to prevent the liquid from scattering and to pro-
duce an even steady flow thereof. The hollow plates with the end frames may be
either constructed in one piece or they may consist of two metal sheets placed on
each side of a middle frame and tightly fastened to this by outside frames and screws
or bolts.
Simple hollow plates may also be used not made in one piece with the frames but

page_text: then frames made of wood cork metal or of other suitable material and provided with
the necessary openings must be placed between each two plates to form the passages
for the circulation of the liquid; or hollow plates having an upwardly projecting rim
forming so to speak shallow vessels with double bottom may be placed upon one
another in which case the intermediate frames are omitted.
The water to be heated circulates through the apparatus from the top to the bottom
and the steam from the bottom to the top.
The cover plates are rather thick and are provided with inlet and outlet passages
for the steam and the liquid.
If the water is not sufficiently purified when leaving the apparatus it may be con-
ducted over a series of single plates provided with the rings or ferrules or elevated
discharge pipes. These single plates are preferably arranged between frames and
fixed together by cover plates and tie rods.
It is evident that instead of conducting the steam through the hollow plates the
liquid to be heated may be conducted therethrough, or that both steam and water may
pass through the apparatus in the same direction.
The exhaust steam preferably used in this apparatus naturally cools and condenses
and the condensed water may be either discharged from the lowest point of the
apparatus or from each plate separately by a tube. To be able to use this condensed
water it must be purified from the impurities carried away by the steam from the
engine such as oil, grease and the like. This is effected by passing the steam
directly after its entrance into the apparatus through fine sieves or tissues, metal
scrap or other substances such as pieces of china or earthenware, lime, asbestos or
the like placed inside the hollow plates.
Consequently on the condensation of the steam the space in the hollow plates
becomes rarefied and to operate continuously with a vacuum the condensed water is
discharged into a perfectly closed vessel whence it is returned to the boiler by means
of a pump. As the boilers are generally fed with pure water devoid of carbonic
acid or air, these gases do not enter the apparatus to interfere with the vacuum.
During the heating of the water passing through the apparatus steam will be
generated which will rise and by conducting this steam into a suitable condenser the
apparatus offering a large evaporating surface may be profitably used for the pro-
duction of chemically pure distilled water or as evaporating apparatus.
By providing suitable openings at the side the apparatus may be cleaned from
time to time.
If no steam be available hot air or the products of combustion may be used
instead of steam.
As by heating one substance the other must cool it follows that the apparatus may
also be used for cooling purposes, the liquid to be cooled and the cooling agent being
introduced and conducted through the apparatus in a similar manner.
It is easily understood that the apparatus described above will allow or suggest
numerous modifications without however deviating from the principle of the invention
so for instance the hollow plates may be joined by flanges thus obviating the end or
intermediate frames or the apparatus may consist of simple hollow plates superposed
and separated by simple frames of wood, metal indiarubber or other suitable material.
The spaces between the plates communicate by passages through the plates and the
interiors of the plates communicate by passages through the frames.
The hollow plates may also be arranged in a suitable vessel or receptacle. In this
case the interiors of the plates communicate preferably by means of pipes arranged
either outside or inside the enclosing vessel while the spaces between the plates
'communicate as usual by passages through the plates.
The hollow plates may be replaced by tubes or corrugated sheet metal, or they
may be arranged side by side instead of being superposed.
Dated this 28th day of June 1887

page_text: A communication from Josef Fischer, of Vienna, Austria, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cooling or heating
liquids, gases, vapours and the like and its principal object is to heat and simultaneously
purify the feed water for steam boilers by conducting it across hollow plates heated
by steam, preferably the exhaust steam, passing through these plates; the impurities
contained in the water such as lime or the like will settle on the said plates and the
feed water will thereby be purified.
In this apparatus
employ a series of hollow plates arranged side by side or
superposed and fixed together by screws or otherwise or arranged in suitable vessels or
receptacles.
1
When the apparatus simply consists of superposed inclined hollow plates a
(figures 1, 2 and 3) these plates are provided with end frames & covered with suitable
packing material and pressed together by suitable cover plates S S¹. The frames b
being somewhat thicker than the hollow plates a form passages e between the latter
through which circulates the liquid to be heated. The frames are further provided
with openings or passages d registering with each other and with corresponding
openings in the plates for the circulation of the steam through the hollow plates. The
liquid to be heated passes through another series of passages n from the surface of one
plate to another. The communication between the interior of the hollow plates may
be effected by pipes instead of the above mentioned passages d. To enable the water
to flow slowly and the impurities to settle on the plates the openings through the
plates may be provided with a ring or ferrule n¹ figure 4, which will always keep a
certain quantity of water standing on the plate or this may be effected by a pipe n
extending a little higher than the surface of the plate. The rings n¹ may be provided
with a downwardly projecting tube or extension figure 6, to prevent the liquid from
scattering and to produce an even steady flow thereof. The hollow plates a with the
end frames may be either constructed in one piece or they may consist of two metal
sheets e and e' (figure 2) placed on each side of a middle frame and tightly fastened
to this by outside frames ff" and screws or bolts.
Simple hollow plates may also be used not made in one piece with the frames
(figure 13) but then frames g made of wood, cork, metal or of other suitable material
and provided with the necessary openings & must be placed between each two plates a

page_text: to form the passages e for the circulation of the liquid; or hollow plates having an
upwardly projecting rim (figure 17) forming so to speak shallow vessels with double
bottom may be placed upon one another in which case the intermediate frames are
omitted.
The water to be heated circulates through the apparatus Fig. 1, from the top through
the tube to the bottom where it leaves through the tube and the steam from the
bottom through the tube k to the top where it leaves through the tube A¹.
The cover plates S S¹ Fig. 1, are rather thick and are provided with inlet and outlet
passages for the steam and the liquid.
It is evident that instead of conducting the steam through the hollow plates the
liquid to be heated may be conducted therethrough or that both steam and water may
pass through the apparatus in the same direction.
The exhaust steam preferably used in this apparatus naturally cools and condenses
and the condensed water may be either discharged from the lowest point of the
apparatus or from each plate separately by a tube Fig. 4. To be able to use this
condensed water it must be purified from the impurities carried away by the steam
from the engine such as oil grease and the like. This is effected by passing the steam
directly after its entrance into the apparatus through fine sieves or tissues metal scrap
or other substances such as pieces of china or earthenware, lime, asbestos, or the like
placed inside the hollow plates. The impurities retained will be discharged through
the tubes m or m¹ Fig. 4 according to whether the steam enters the apparatus from
the top or bottom.
Consequently on the coudensation of the steam the space in the hollow plates
becomes rarefied, and to operate continuously with a vacuum the condensed water is
discharged into a perfectly closed vessel V Fig. 4 and L Fig. 14, whence it is returned
to the boiler by means of a pump. As the boilers are generally fed with pure water
devoid of carbonic acid or air, these gases do not enter the apparatus to interfere with
the vacuum.
During the heating of the water passing through the apparatus, steam will be
generated which will rise and by conducting this steam into a suitable condenser the
apparatus offering a large evaporating surface may be profitably used for the production
of chemically pure distilled water or as evaporating apparatus.
By providing suitable openings p at the side (Fig. 8) the apparatus may be cleaned
from time to time.
If no steam be available hot air or the products of combustion may be used instead
of steam.
As by heating one substance the other must cool it follows that the apparatus may
also be used for cooling purposes, the liquid to be cooled and the cooling agent being
introduced and conducted through the apparatus in a similar manner.
It is easily understood that the apparatus described above will allow or suggest
numerous modifications without however deviating from the principle of the invention;
so for instance the hollow plates a may be joined by flanges & Fig. 12 thus obviating
the end or intermediate frames borg or the apparatus may consist of simple hollow
plates Fig. 13 superposed and separated by simple frames of wood, metal, india-rubber
or other suitable material. The spaces c between the plates a communicate by
passages n through the plates and the interiors of the plates communicate by passages d
through the frames.
The hollow plates may also be arranged in a suitable vessel or receptacle G (Figs. 18
and 19). In this case the interiors of the plates a communicate preferably by means
of pipes arranged either outside or inside the enclosing vessel while the spaces c between
the plates communicate as usual by passages n through the plates.
Fig. 20 represents an apparatus which may be used for the heating of feed water or
the condensing of exhaust steam, and in which the hollow plates alternately inclined
to right and left and superposed are fixed to the standards St or rest on brackets w.
To prevent the water from flowing off the lateral sides of the plates these lateral sides
are provided with rims Figs. 20 and 18 and to permit the cooling by means of the
atmospheric air the casing may be formed with openings p Fig. 4. The hollow plates

page_text: may be replaced by tubes see Figs. 21, 22, 23, and 24 or by corrugated sheet
metal.
As may be seen from these figures the tubes a are in such a position relative to the
plate or sheet that the said tubes are immersed in the liquid, this arrangement
producing a better heating effect.
Fig. 4 represents a simplification in the construction of the hollow plates and the
whole apparatus. On to both sides of the frame b formed with the openings or
passages & Figs. 6 and 7, are simply placed sheets formed with openings registering
with the passages d of the frame 6. Onto these which so to say form a hollow plate
is placed an intermediate frames Figs. 8 and 9, which may be formed with openings p.
These hollow plates and intermediate frames are alternately superposed in such a
manner that the steam circulates through the hollow plates as indicated by the
arrows.
The plates and frames are then tightly joined together by means of screws, bolts
and the cover plates SS Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 14 represents this apparatus in
combination with the vessels KL. The condensed water is discharged through the
passage Fig. 15 which passes through the whole apparatus or plates the water
entering said passage through lateral openings.
To produce a better heating or cooling effect sieves perforated metal sheets Fig. 13
or metal sheets cut and bent as indicated in Fig. 16 are placed inside the hollow plates.
In passing these metal sheets the liquid or steam to he cooled will transfer its heat to
these sheets, these transfer it to the sheets forming the hollow plates and these to the
cooling agent. To prevent the sheets e e¹ Figs. 13 and 6 from being bent in, plates.
provided with projections or lugs, or the like are placed between them, or the sheets
themselves may be formed on their outside with strengthening ribs.
The principle of the invention remains naturally the same if the hollow plates are
arranged in juxtaposition instead of being superposed. The flow of the liquid, gas or
steam to be cooled or heated will be the same as described above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method for heating the feed water for boilers consisting in conducting it
over hollow plates such as a Figures 1-4, heated by means of steam, hot air, gas or
the like substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. Apparatus for the heating of feed water for boilers, for the heating or cooling of
liquids, gases or steam in general, consisting of a series of superposed or juxtaposed
hollow plates such as a communicating with each other with or without frames & and
tightly pressed together; the heating or cooling being effected by one of the liquids
gases or steam passing successively through the intervening spaces between the hollow
plates, while the other liquid gas or steam passes in the opposite direction through
the hollow plates themselves substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of the hollow plates a with a vessel G in which the said plates
are superposed or arranged in juxtaposition and by which plates the heating or cooling
is effected in the manner described in the second claim substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangement of the plates a being alternately inclined to the right and the
left for the purpose of producing a thorough flow of the liquid, substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The construction of the plates a with the frame Figures 2 and 3 by placing
metal sheets e e¹ on each side of the middle frame and tightly fastening them to the
said middle frame by outside frames ff" and screws or bolts. The passages d in the
frame 6 and the openings p in the frames & figure 8 substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The circular or angular frame 6 provided with passages d, figures 6 and 7, in

page_text: combination with the metal sheets e e¹ placed on each side of said frame and the inter-
mediate frames figure 8, for the purpose of constructing the apparatus as represented
in figure 4. The discharge pipes in combination with the hollow plates a or frames &
for the purpose of discharging the condensed water or the steam from the spaces c
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination of the hollow plates or vessels with sieves, perforated sheets,
ribs or the like arranged in said plates for the purpose of producing a better heating
or cooling effect substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
8. The construction of the hollow plates as represented in figures 12, 13, 17, 20 for
the purpose specified, as well as the rim r on the plate d substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9. The introduction of a plate with projections or lugs or the employment of
strengthening ribs for the sheets ee for the purpose of preventing the said sheets
from being bent in substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
10. The combination of the apparatus as represented in figures 1 and 4, with
hermetically closed vessels for the reception of the clean condensed water V Figure 4
and L. Figure 14, and of the dirty water K figure 14, for the purpose of enabling the
clean condensed water to be used for feeding purposes substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
11. The ring n Figure 11, or the pipe n figure 4, for the purpose of always
keeping a shallow quantity of water standing on the plate. The frames 6 with the
passages o and o figure 14, to replace the tubes substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
12. The plates a consisting of tubes and the frame b figures 21, 22 and 23 and the
combination of the said plates with the bottom plate and the discharge passage n¹
figure 24, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
13. The employment of the apparatus represented in figures 1 and 4 and the
arrangements contained in claims 3 to 12 for the purpose of evaporating liquids or
condensing steam substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
11
لبنت