Improvements in Tube Stoppers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tube Stoppers.
I, JOHN WILSON FLEMING, of 247, Ryerson Street, Brooklyn, United States
of America, United States Steam Vessel Inspector, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a tube stopper especially adapted to close ends of
boiler flues and so constructed that the stopper may be applied and the flue
perfectly closed while the boiler is in use. The body of the stopper consists
of two solid semi-cylindrical sections each provided with a central longitudinal
groove which are alike and register with one another when the two sections are
brought together. The side walls of the grooves converge at one end and the
back wall of the groove is inclined in a direction that renders the groove deepest
at its contracted end so that the grooves present a circular opening at the outer
end and an oval opening at the inner end of the body adapted to receive a key
having a cylindrical threaded outer portion and a wedge-shaped inner portion.
Before the body portions are brought together the wedge-shaped part of the
key and a portion of the cylindrical part are placed in the groove of one of the
sections, the longitudinal section of the wedge-shaped part of the key engaging
with the back wall of the groove. When the stopper is to be placed in a flue
the wedge-shaped part of the key projects beyond the inner end of the stopper
sufficiently to permit the sections of said stopper to be brought close together in
which position of the two sections the stopper may readily enter the tube. When
the stopper body is properly placed in the tube, the threaded part of the key
extends beyond the adjacent end of the tube and through an opening in a cap
comprising a plug portion and flange. The plug portion is adapted to engage
with the interior of the tube near the end while the flange extends laterally
beyond and is adapted to contact with the tube at its end. The sections of the
body are expanded within the tube and the cap is held as a stopper at the end
of the tube by adjusting a nut on the threaded end of the key to a firm bearing
against the cap or against a washer intervening the cap and the nut. The inner
surface of the flange is annularly grooved to receive the end of the flue, said
groove being concave so that the cap may be forced tightly against the inner
edge of the flue end when pressure is applied to the nut. The sections of the
stopper body when brought together are prevented from having end movement
by abutment pins at the inner ends of the stopper sections each pin bearing
against the adjacent end of the stopper section toward which it projects.
Dated this 16th day of January 1899.
A. M. & WM. CLARK.
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.

page_text: I, JOHN WILSON FLEMING, of 247, Ryerson Street, Brooklyn, United States
of America, United States Steam Vessel Inspector, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
The object of my invention is to provide a tube stopper especially adapted to
close the ends of boiler flues, and so constructed that the stopper may be quickly
and accurately applied and the flue perfectly closed while the boiler is in use.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the
several parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures. Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken
on the line 1-1 of Figure 2. Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2
of Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 are detail perspective views of the sections of the
body of the stopper; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the key employed in
connection with the stopper.
The
The body of the stopper consists preferably of two solid semi-cylindrical
sections A and B, each provided with a central longitudinal groove C.
grooves are arranged to register when the sections of the body are brought
together, and are of the same formation. The side walls 10 of the grooves Care
tapering or converging at one end 11 of the body section in which the groove is
produced and the back wall of the groove is inclined in a direction that renders
the groove deepest at its contracted end, so that when the sections are brought
together a circular opening 12 is formed at the outer end of the complete body
while an oval opening 13 is presented at the inner end of the body.
The space formed by the registering grooves is adapted to receive a key D
having a cylindrical threaded outer portion 14 and a wedge-shaped inner portion
15 flattened at opposite sides. Before sections A and B are brought together,
the wedge-shaped portion 15 of the key and a portion of the cylindrical por-
tion 14 are placed in the groove C of one of the sections, the longitudinal section
of the wedge-shaped portion of the key engaging with the back wall of the
groove. When the stopper is to be placed in a flue E, the wedge-shaped part 15
of the key projects beyond the inner end of the stopper sufficiently to permit the
sections of said stopper to be brought close together, in which position of the
two sections the stopper.may readily enter the tube.
When the stopper is properly placed in the tube, the threaded part of the key
extends beyond the adjacent end of the tube and through an opening in a cap F
comprising a plug portion 16 and flange 17. The plug portion of the cap is
adapted to engage with the interior of the tube near the end, while the flange
extends laterally beyond and is adapted to contact with the tube at its end as
shown in Figure 1. The sections of the body are expanded within the tube, and
the cap is held as a stopper at the end of the tube, by adjusting a nut 18 on
the threaded end of the key to a firm bearing against the cap, or against a
washer 19 intervening the cap and the nut. The inner surface of the flange 17
is annularly grooved as at 17 to receive the end of the flue, said groove being
concave so that the cap may be forced tightly against the inner edge of the flue
end when pressure is applied to the nut 18.
The sections A B of the stopper when brought together are prevented from
having end movement by abutment pins 20, 21 at the inner ends of the stopper

page_text: sections, each pin bearing against the adjacent end of the stopper section toward
which it projects, as shown in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A flue stopper, constructed substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A flue stopper, comprising a sectional body, a key having a wedge-shaped
portion adapted to be located between the body sections, a cap through which a
portion of the key passes, and a device adapted for the adjustment of the key
and as a lock for the cap, as and for the purpose specified.
3. A flue stopper, comprising a body constructed in sections, each section being
provided with a correspondingly located groove, each groove having tapering
side walls and an inclined bottom wall, the grooves being deepest at their con-
tracted ends, a key provided with a threaded and a wedge-shaped section, the
wedge-shaped section of the key being adapted to enter the grooves in the body
sections, a cap through which the threaded portion of the key passes, and means
for expanding the body sections through the medium of the key, and a locking
device for the cap, as described.
4. In a flue stopper, the combination, with a body constructed in two sections,
said sections being provided with registering tapering grooves, and means for
holding the sections of the body against end movement, of a cap, a key having
a threaded part that passes through the cap and a wedge part adapted to enter
the registering grooves in the body section, and a nut located upon the threaded
end of the said key being adapted to bear against the outer portion of the said
cap, for the purpose set forth.
5. A flue stopper comprising a sectional body, a cap consisting of a body
adapted to enter a flue, and a flange having a peripheral groove adapted to
receive the end portion of a flue, a key having a wedge-shaped portion adapted
to be located between the end sections and expand the same, the said key being
provided with a threaded portion arranged to pass through the cap, and a lock
nut carried by the threaded portion of the key and adapted to bear against the
said cap, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 20th day of Santambar 1800
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.