IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING DISTRICTS OF DWELLINGS OR OTHER BUILDINGS WITH STEAM FOR HEATING, DRIVING MACHINERY, CULINARY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ritson, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF AND
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING DISTRICTS OF DWELLINGS OR OTHER BUILDINGS
WITH STEAM FOR HEATING, DRIVING MACHINERY, CULINARY AND OTHER
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Tom Atkinson Ritson, of
Buffalo, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ritson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1881.
THOMAS RITSON, of Greenock, in the County of. Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING DISTRICTS
OF DWELLINGS OR OTHER BUILDINGS WITH STEAM FOR HEATING, DRIVING
MACHINERY, CULINARY AND OTHER PURPOSES." [A communication from abroad
by Tom Atkinson Ritson, of Buffalo, in the United States of America.]
This Invention has reference to a former Invention of "New or Improved
Apparatus for Utilizing Steam for Heating Buildings and Driving Machinery, and
other Purposes in Cities and Towns," for which I obtained Letters Patent dated
August 2nd 1878, No. 3065.
And the present improvements consist, first, of a new "double system" of laying
the pipes or mains two in a trench in each street or road, one for supplying live
steam for manufacturing purposes to individual users, and the other pipe being a
heating main only for dwellings or other purposes.
This differs from the old system only in the laying of two mains instead of one.
In one of the mains is carried steam at about 70 or 80 pounds pressure to the
square inch, which is fed directly to engines, while in the other steam at 15 or 20
pounds pressure for heating purposes only is carried. The mains showing 80 pounds
pressure are fed direct from the boiler heated by the furnaces hereinafter described.
The pressure in each main is regulated by automatic valves or other suitable
contrivances. The exhaust from the engines fed by steam from the mains carrying
80 pounds pressure is carried into the mains having 15 pounds pressure. Thus no
steam is lost, and all surplus steam not required for heating purposes comes back
to the boiler house and is used for heating the boiler feed water.
The automatic valve or other contrivance is to regulate steam pressure so that
it need not get above the maximum required, if so the valve will open automatically

page_text: and the steam escape either into the heating pipe or the exhaust, or be returned to
the feed water heater for the boilers. All the exhaust steam from all engines
supplied with steam by the double system will be returned into the heating mains,
so that double use of the steam is effected.
At each 100 feet, more or less, is set in the mains a junction box for supplying
all places within that number of feet with steam from service pipes; the bottom of
this box receives all condensations from these pipes as it is set lower.
The improvements further relate to obtaining a more complete combustion
of the fuel in the boiler furnaces for generating the steam used in my said
system.
For this purpose I build a furnace chamber, over which is thrown a brick arch,
the base of which on each side rests upon a ribbed or corrugated plate, so that air
may pass freely. This arch covers the entire length and width of the furnace, and
is provided with a flue extending its entire length and with flue strips or divisions
to divide it into a central flue and two side flues, which latter open along their
outer sides upon the ribbed or corrugated plates. There are perforations through
the rear ends of the flues to allow air to pass into the flame chamber which is
situated below the boiler and between the rear of the coal consuming chamber
proper and the bridge wall. Air is admitted to the central flue through an opening
or openings in the front of the furnace, and a flue or flues in the said front which
communicate with the central flue. The boiler stands back above the brick arch.
The fuel is fed from the top into chambers above the level dead plates upon which
it is coked preparatory to being supplied to the grates.
I arrange the grate bars so that every one or every other one may be vibrated
either by hand or otherwise to free the grate from ashes, grind up the clinkers, and
remove them by rotating toothed cylinders, and by which an even combustion and
regular feed is had. A greater volume of air is thus permitted to pass into and
through the burning fuel, especially when "slack" or refuse coal is used.
In arranging the grate bars with this object a pair of parallel bars may be cast
with girths connecting them at the ends, and intermediately making a frame which
can be supported longitudinally in the furnace by bars or brackets on the front
and back walls thereof. There may be one, two, or more of these frames, as may
be necessary, according to the width of the furnace. The girths of each frame are
hollowed on the upper edge to receive and support a toothed cylinder whose front
end extends through a thimble in the front leg of the furnace or beneath the front
in the draft opening where it is squared to receive a crank by which it or all may
be rotated. This cylinder has a series of studs projecting from its surface. The grate
bars may be set up at an angle of about 45 degrees, as circumstances may require,
against the furnace sides and be supported at the lower ends by the outer edge of
the frame, the lower ends of the bars being notched to project over the edge of the
said frame..
The front end of a rock shaft extends either through a thimble in the front_leg
of the furnace or through the draft opening, and when oscillated by a crank a
feather of the rock shaft engages with the notches of all the vibrating bars and
vibrates them, freeing the grates of ashes and carrying the partially consumed coal
and the clinkers to the lower ends of the grate bars and upon the toothed cylinders.
Or the frames of parallel bars may be combined with triangular grate frames in an
alternating series, each alternate triangular frame being susceptible of a lateral
vibration from the rock shaft.
I employ a meter for measuring the steam used by each consumer, somewhat
similar to those used for measuring gas, with dials and indicators giving feet, &c.
I place this meter between the diaphragm or pressure valve described in the
Specification of my said former Letters Patent, and the user's radiator, stove,
engine, or other apparatus in which the steam is utilized. t

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Ritson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1881.
THOMAS RITSON, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING DISTRICTS
OF DWELLINGS OR OTHER BUILDINGS WITH STEAM FOR HEATING, DRIVING
MACHINERY, CULINARY AND OTHER PURPOSES." (A communication from abroad
by Tom Atkinson Ritson, of Buffalo, in the United States of America.)
This Invention has reference to a former Invention of "New or Improved
Apparatus for Utilizing Steam for Heating Buildings and Driving Machinery and
other Purposes in Cities and Towns," for which I obtained Letters Patent dated
August 2nd, 1878, No. 3065.
of
And the present improvements consist, first, of a new "double system
laying the pipes or mains, two in a trench in each street or road, one for supplying
live steam for manufacturing purposes to individual users and the other pipe being
a heating main only for dwellings or other purposes.
This differs from the old system only in the laying of two mains instead of one.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a diagram representing the new or double
system. a is the main for supplying live steam, and 6 is the main for heating
purposes. In the main a the steam is conveyed directly from the boilers c, and is
at about 70 or 80 pounds pressure to the square inch; it is fed directly to the
engines indicated at d. In the other main 6 steam at 15 or 20 pounds pressure for
heating purposes only is carried. The pressure in each main is regulated by
automatic valves at e, e, or other suitable contrivances. The exhaust from the
engines & fed by steam from the mains a carrying 80 pounds pressure is carried
into the mains b having 15 pounds pressure, and is utilized for heating or culinary
purposes in dwellings, as indicated at f. Thus no steam is lost, and all surplus
steam not required for heating purposes comes back to the boiler house (by the
pipe g) and is used for heating the boiler feed water in the tank h.
The automatic valve or other contrivance is to regulate steam pressure so that it
need not get above the maximum required; if so, the valve will open automatically
and the steam escape either into the heating pipe or the exhaust or be returned to
the feed water heater for the boilers. All the exhaust steam from all engines
supplied with steam by the double system will be returned into the heating mains,
so that double use of the steam is effected.
At each 100 feet more or less is set in the mains a junction box i for supplying
all places within that number of feet with steam from service pipes; the bottom of
this box receives all condensations from these pipes as it is set lower. Figure 2
represents the junction box on a larger scale.
The improvements further relate to obtaining a more complete combustion of
the fuel in the boiler furnaces for generating the steam used in my said
system.
For this purpose I build a furnace chamber A, see Figures 3 and 4, over which is
thrown a brick arch B, the base of which on each side rests upon a ribbed or
corrugated plate C, so that air may pass freely. This arch covers the entire length
and width of the furnace and is provided with a flue extending its entire length,
and with flue strips or divisions E to divide it into a central flue D, and two side
flues F, which latter open along their outer sides upon the ribbed or corrugated
plates C. There are perforations & through the rear end of the flues to allow air
to pass into the flame chamber I, which is situated below the boiler J and between

page_text: the rear of the coal consuming chamber proper and the bridge wall K. Air is
admitted to the central flue D through an opening or openings L in the front of the
furnace and a flue or flues M (shown in dotted lines) in the said front, which
communicate with the central flue D. The boiler stands back above the brick
arch. The fuel is fed from the top into chambers V above level dead plates N,
upon which it is coked preparatory to being supplied to the grates.
I arrange the grate bars so that every one or every other one may be vibrated
either by hand or otherwise (see Figures 5 and 6) to free the grate from ashes,
grind up the clinkers and remove them by rotating toothed cylinders, and by
which an even combustion and regular feed is had. A greater volume of air is
thus permitted to pass into and through the burning fuel, especially when "slack"
or refuse coal is used.
In arranging the grate bars with this object a pair of parallel bars A, A,
(Figure 5) may be cast with girths connecting them at the ends and intermediately
making a frame which can be supported longitudinally in the furnace by bars or
brackets on the front and back walls thereof. There may be one, two, or more of
these frames as may be necessary according to the width of the furnace; in the
Figure three are shown. The girths of each frame are hollowed on the upper edge
to receive and support a toothed cylinder B, whose front end extends through a
thimble in the front leg of the furnace or beneath the front in the draft opening,
where it is squared to receive a crank by which it or all may be rotated. This
cylinder has a series of studs projecting from its surface, as shown. The grate
bars D may be set up at an angle of about 45 degrees, as circumstances may
require, against the furnace sides, and be supported at the lower ends by the outer
edge of the frame A, the lower ends of the bars being notched to project over the
edge of the said frame.
The front end of a rock shaft C extends either through a thimble in the front
leg of the furnace or through the draft opening, and when oscillated by a crank a
feather c of the rock shaft engages with the notches of all the vibrating bars D',
and vibrates them, freeing the grates of ashes, and carrying the partially consumed
coal and the clinkers to the lower ends of the grate bars and upon the toothed
cylinders B. Or the frames of parallel bars may be combined with triangular grate
frames E, E, Figure 7, in an alternating series, each alternate triangular frame E¹
being susceptible of a lateral vibration from the rock shaft C hung in the
frames E.
I employ a meter (bereinafter described) for measuring the steam used by each
consumer. I place this meter between the diaphragm or pressure valve described
in the Specification of my said former Letters Patent and the user's radiator, stove,
engine, or other apparatus in which the steam is utilized.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of the meter; Figure 9 is a horizontal section in
the line x, x, of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a vertical section in the line y, y, of Figure 9 ;
Figure 11 is a horizontal section in the line 2, %, of Figure 8.
A indicates a vessel, preferably of cylindrical form, containing the meter
mechanism, and B a vessel containing the counting mechanism. The vessel A is
provided with a removable lid a and bottom a¹, 3 diaphragms a³, a³, a, a steam
inlet a³ and outlet a. The steam inlet a³ is made to join the vessel A between
the diaphragms a³, a³, and is provided with an induction pipe C. This induction
pipe is made with a square bore and provided with an inclined self adjusting
valve c which extends from the upper part of the outer termination of the pipe to
the bottom of the inner termination thereof, as shown, the valve being pivoted to
the induction pipe C by means of a transverse pin c¹ and two lugs, one of which
lugs only as at c is shown in Figure 10. This valve c in its normal position, as
seen in Figure 10, closes the passage of the induction pipe; but when steam is
admitted it is raised higher or lower according to the amount of the steam
delivered. In all positions except the bighest or that of a full throw (but which
the valve in operation will seldom occupy) the valve inclines downwardly to the
diaphragm a³ and thus directs the steam current. against curved or spoon shaped

page_text: paddles d of a paddle wheel D, which is thereby revolved. The wheel D is suitably
fastened to a central vertical shaft E hung between the diaphragm a³ and bottom a¹,
its lower bearing consisting of a socket hole e, into which a vertical centre pin a¹
of the bottom a³ is fitted.
In operation, the steam having imparted power to the wheel D now mainly
escapes into the chamber G below through a central aperture F in the diaphragm a³,
while such portions of steam as are prevented by the centrifugal action of the
wheel from readily escaping at F flow down into the chamber G through openings ƒ
arranged around the main aperture F in the diaphragm a³, and thus no steam
which has expended its impact force upon the wheel is left to impede or weaken
the impact of the fresh steam upon the paddles of the wheel D. The steam which
has thus entered the chamber & between the diaphragms a³, a¹, is now let off by
means of a service pipe G² in the outlet a to the several radiators, stoves, steam
engines, &c., which may be in the building to which the meter belongs. The water
of condensation which accumulates upon the diaphragm a* descends into the space
below said diaphragm through a central aperture F around the shaft E, and is
collected in said space and on the bottom a¹ of the meter. This bottom a¹ is
provided as shown with a number of radial upright rigid plates H of a suitable
height, and above these plates a brake paddle wheel I is fastened to the shaft E,
the paddles i of which wheel pass freely over but in close contiguity to the plates H.
Below the arm of the paddle wheel I the plates H are extended upwardly in the
shape of a step as at h so as to nearly touch the arms i, and thus the plates H
prevent the water of condensation from rotating with the wheel I.
K. indicates a well which communicates with the space immediately above the
interior surface of the bottom a¹ of the meter, and into which well the dirt in the
water of condensation will become collected. This well may be provided with a
cock in any suitable manner, through which such dirt. may be blown out at times.
and so prevent clogging of the meter.
In operation the space between the diaphragm a' and bottom a¹ becomes filled
with the water of condensation and the paddles i rotate therein; but inasmuch as
the water is prevented by the plates H from altogether revolving in concert with
the wheel I the water serves to retard the revolution of this wheel, and thus the
water and the wheel I act as a hydraulic brake or regulator to govern and restrain
a too rapid revolution of the wheel D under the impact action of the steam.
The upper end of the shaft E extends through and beyond the diaphragm a³,
and is provided with a pinion d¹ which gears into a wheel J on a stud j of said
diaphragm. The upper extremity of the shaft E bears against a bearing plate e¹
suitably secured to the diaphragm a³, whereby the shaft E is prevented from being
casually lifted off its foot bearing, and a step bearing is formed for the shaft k.
The wheel J is provided with a pinion j¹ which gears into a wheel K. on a shaft k.
The shaft k passes through a stuffing box k in the lid a, and above the lid is
provided with a pinion which drives a wheel 6 of the counting mechanism L in
the vessel B, whereby the number of cubic feet of steam passing through the
impact wheel D is recorded by dials and revolving pointers from units up to
hundreds of thousands; as is usually done.
In constructing the impact wheel D I make the blades D thereof about one third the
height of the blades i of the brake or regulator wheel I, and of a less height than the
vertical diameter of the induction pipe C, and by this means I secure a very perfect
regulation of the mechanism of the meter; and also in the event that the valve c
should be suddenly moved to a horizontal position by the steam, and thus stand at
a higher elevation than the top of the blades d of the impact wheel D, the surplus
steam will pass over the blades & without exerting an impact force thereon, and
consequently there will be no material change in the previously-determined
quantity of steam to be registered against the consumer.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
1. The "double system' " herein before .described, that is to say, laying two

page_text: steam mains in one trench or "cut" in each street, one main or pipe conveying
live steam at, say, 70 to 80lbs. pressure for steam service, the other main for the
exhaust steam at 15 to 20lbs. pressure for heating, culinary purposes, &c., each
pipe being supplied with an automatic valve or other suitable contrivance for
regulating the pressure, so that if the pressure gets beyond the desired amount it
will either blow off, be returned to the exhaust pipe or to the feed water heater,
all substantially as set forth.
2. In connection with a steam heating system for cities, towns, or districts I
claim the furnaces for the boilers constructed with a double arch B, having a
central flue D which is supplied by flue M with air at its front end, and the flues F
at the sides of the arch separated from the central flue by strips E constructed and
arranged substantially as described and shown in Figures 3 and 4.
3. The combination with the arch B, having central and side flues D, F, of the
ribbed or corrugated base plates C, upon which the arch rests, the said arch receiving
air at its top and discharging it at its bottom sides in jets upon the fuel,
substantially as described and shown in Figures 3 and 4 for the purpose set
forth.
4. The combination of the coal burning chamber A, the bridge wall K, and the
hollow arch B receiving air at its front, and discharging the same at its sides into
the coal burning chamber and at its rear end into the flame chamber I in front of
the bridge wall, all substantially as described and shown.
5. The furnace, provided with the arch B, constructed with flues and resting
upon the ribbed or corrugated base plates C, the dead plates N, upon which the
fuel in the chambers V is coked preparatory to being fed to the grates, substantially
as set forth.
6. The combination of two sets of alternating and inclined bars D, D', Figures 5
and 7, with a supporting frame A and a feathered rock shaft O adapted to vibrate
the bars D¹ of each set, substantially as described.
7. The combination of the toothed cylinder B with the frame A and stationary
and vibrating bars D, D¹, substantially as described and shown.
8. The combination with the frames A of the triangular grate frames E, E', in
an alternating series, the said frames E' being susceptible of a lateral vibration
from the rock shaft C hung in the frames E, substantially as and for the purpose
Bet forth.
9. In a furnace or fire box the combination of two sets of transverse grate bars,
inclined from the sides of the fire box toward each other, and revolving toothed
cylinders, substantially as described.
10. The employment in a system of the kind herein referred to of a meter for
measuring steam, which by dials and indicators will show the number of feet of
steam used by each consumer, and which is set between the diaphragm or pressure
valve, and the consumer's steam radiator or stove, or engine, &c., in each house,
substantially as previously stated.
11. In a meter for measuring the steam for the purpose described, the self
adjusting valve c pivoted to the upper side of a square bore induction pipe C, in
combination with the impact wheel D having blades d of less height than the
vertical diameter of the delivery end of the induction pipe, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
12. In a meter for measuring steam for the purpose described, the combination
of an impact wheel, a hydraulic brake or regulator wheel, and a counting mechanism,
substantially as described.
13. The diaphragm a³ having a central aperture F and openings f, in combination
with the impact wheel D, substantially as and for the purpose described.
14. The combination of the hydraulic brake or regulator wheel I having
paddles i and the rigid plates H, substantially as and for the purpose described.
15. In combination with the diaphragm case A the impact wheel D and the
brake or regulator wheel I, the paddles of the wheel D being of relatively less
height than the paddles of the wheel I, substantially as described.
1

page_text: 16. The combination of the meter provided with the wheels D and I with the
valve chest C¹ of a steam pressure regulator, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ritson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
THOMAS RITSON. (L.S.)