IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Moy, of 37, Farringdon Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Moy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1881.
THOMAS MOY, of 37, Farringdon Street, in the City of London, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS."
The object of my said Invention is to construct steam boilers in such a manner
as to reduce weight, prevent priming, and save fuel.
I construct tubular boilers with annular or other dishes or saucers or other
shallow receptacles for water attached to or otherwise surrounding the tubes, which
dishes or saucers hold and retain small quantities of water in layers, the water
being in contact with the tubes. The water in the boiler being thus arranged in
shallow layers a greatly extended surface is necessarily obtained for the delivery of
a large quantity of steam without priming; the spaces between the layers of
water and surrounding the tubes form together a large and convenient steam
space. The feed water is forced into the boiler at or near the ends of the tubes
farthest from the furnace, in order that the heated gases may leave the tubes at
a temperature as nearly as possible equal to that of the entering feed water. The
water is caused to overflow from each layer to the next below until it reaches the
bottom.
In some cases a circulating pump may be used.
The tubes may be conical, cylindrical, or otherwise formed, and placed vertically,
horizontally, or diagonally.
T

page_text: In some cases a number of small boilers with a single tube in each will be
grouped together.
For very small portable boilers gas burners or mineral or other oil burners will
be used.
In adapting my said improvements to certain classes of tubulous or externally
fired tube boilers the receptacles for water are of course placed internally, and the
steam space is in the centre.
In boilers where no steam pressure is required, and in open topped boilers, the
plates may be flat, and the receptacles for the water follow the form. This
arrangement is suitable for heating water and for melting snow.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Moy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st August
1881.
THOMAS MOY, of 37, Farringdon Street, in the City of London, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS.".
The object of my said Invention is to construct steam boilers in such a manner
as to reduce weight, prevent priming, and save fuel.
I construct tubular boilers with annular or other dishes or saucers or other shallow
receptacles for water attached to or otherwise surrounding the tubes, which dishes
or saucers hold and retain small quantities of water in layers, the water being in
contact with the tubes. The water in the boiler being thus arranged in shallow
layers a greatly extended surface is necessarily obtained for the quiet delivery of
the steam without priming; the spaces between the layers of water and surrounding
the tubes form together the steam space. The feed water is forced into the boiler
at or near the ends of the tubes farthest from the furnace in order that the heated
gases may leave the tubes at a low temperature. The water is caused to overflow
from each receptacle to the next below until it reaches the lowest water space. In
some cases a circulating pump is necessary.
The tubes may be conical, cylindrical, or of any other suitable form, and placed
horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, the water spaces being formed to suit each
particular case. In some cases the water spaces surrounding vertical tubes may be
spiral with radial divisions. The boiler may have one tube or any number of tubes.
In some cases a number of small boilers with a single tube in each may be grouped
together with or without cross or other tubes.
For very small portable boilers gas burners or mineral or other hydrocarbon
burners will be used.
In adapting my said improvements to certain classes of tubulous or externally
fired tube boilers, the receptacles for water are of course placed internally, and the
steam space is in the centre.
In boilers where no steam pressure above that of the atmosphere is required
and in open topped boilers the plates may be flat and the receptacles for water follow
their form.
My said Invention is also suitable as a water heater and for melting snow.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will describe more
particularly in what manner the same is to be constructed by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts in
the several Figures.
In Fig. 1 a is a portion of a vertical tube of a tubular boiler in section with
annular cups b. These cups are kept filled or nearly filled with water, the feed
entering at the top.
Fig. 2 represents in section another form of annular cup, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5
other variations of form, Fig. 4 being fitted with overflow tubes c, c.
Any of
these forms may have cross tubes, as shewn at Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents another
arrangement wherein the heat is applied to the outside of the tube, the water and
steam being inside.
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 shew plan views of various forms of cups which admit of great
variation in shape.
Fig. 10 represents a variation for vertical multitubular boilers, a series of
perforated dishes being fitted on the whole set of tubes, as shewn in Figs. 14 and
15. In the plan view, Fig. 10, d, d, are divisions for preventing the water leaving
any of the tubes dry where the boiler is subject to much motion. Fig. 11 shews
another variation with short tubes a¹ for overflow of the water and escape of the
steam. The tubes a' may be fitted to that shewn in Fig. 10, and the divisions d,
Fig. 10, may be added to Fig. 11.
Fig. 12 represents the application of my said Invention to the uptake of a

page_text: common vertical boiler. Fig. 13 represents a somewhat similar boiler with a
conical uptake. By the addition of any number of such cross tubes as those shewn
at e, e, (in dotted lines) or > tubes or any other suitable form of tubes, the heating
surface may be increased to any reasonable extent. The feed water entering at the
top (Figs. 12 and 13) becomes gradually heated in the tank, in which cross
tubes e¹, Fig. 13, may also be inserted, and the scum may be blown off from this
tank.
Figs. 14 and 15 represent multitubular boilers, which will be readily understood
from the Drawings. In Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15, f represents the position of the
gauge glass.
Figs. 16 and 18 represent variations in construction; g, g, are baffle plates with
radial plates h fitting between the cups to prevent collapse.
Fig. 19 represents the adaptation of my said Invention to very light boilers for
tramcars, road carriages, pleasure yachts, and aërial steamers. This Figure is half
in vertical section and half elevation. Fig. 20 shews how these boilers may be
utilised to form a portion of the structure to which they are applied. The fuel
I prefer for these purposes is paraffin oil or any hydro-carbon, with suitable lamps
so arranged as to require but little attention; i, i, are the boilers as (suggestively)
arranged to form part of the framework. Between these stiles suitable panels,
windows, and doors may be fitted as desired, the boilers, of course, being well
lagged with non-conducting materials.
Fig. 21 represents the adaptation of my said Invention to boilers with horizontal
tubes. The receptacles for water may be in the form shewn, or one, two, or more
tubes may be separately fitted with a receptacle for water to enclose or cover each
such tube or tubes. The boiler in Fig. 21 is represented with two longitudinal
flanges dividing the boiler into two equal parts, the two parts to be bolted together.
This arrangement is designed for use where very frequent cleaning out is required.
And this description of one form of a horizontal tube boiler is intended to explain
generally the adaptation of my said improvements to all kinds of boilers with
horizontal tubes. It will be observed that the tubes can be arranged over the
whole area of the cylinder at about equal distances apart.
In cases where this form of boiler is used with a fire box, as in railway locomotive
engines, water receptacles are fixed inside the fire box tube plate to protect it from
injury by the fire. These boilers afford facilities for using liquid fuel, a jet of
which may be injected into each tube in a central position by means of an injector
supplied with steam or compressed air.
Generally my said boilers are suitable for closed ash pits, and a forced draught
for increasing their efficiency.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be carried out in practice, I hereby declare that what I claim as of my
Invention is,-
"
The arrangement and construction of steam boilers, and the means and
appliances herein described for obtaining a certain and definite amount of heating
surface therein, combined with lightness and a large amount of " delivery or
water surface for facilitating the separation of the steam from the water in order
to prevent the inconvenience and loss arising from priming, substantially as herein
before described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Moy, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirty first day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.