IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson,
junior, both of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 19th May 1868, and dated the 26th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Addy Hopkinson
and Joseph Hopkinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th November 1867.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, junior, both of
Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," to be
as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object the increase of steam space in boilers, and
consists in the formation of a steam chamber or chambers of any required
shape or dimensions below the surface of the water, which chamber or
chambers is or are in communication with the ordinary steam space above the
surface of the water. By the insertion of a chamber or chambers as above
stated an amount of water is displaced corresponding with the capacity of the
[Price 8d.1

page_text: same. A stay or stays for the boiler is obtained by the connection of the
chamber or chambers to the ends thereof.
The chamber or chambers is or
are made tight in order to prevent the water of the boiler entering, and
the steam is admitted into the chamber or chambers through a series of
pipes, the upper ends of which are. open and extend into the ordinary steam
space at the top of the boiler. By means of this series of pipes the steam is
conveyed simultaneously from various portions of the ordinary steam space
into the chamber or chambers surrounded by water, and priming is thereby
prevented. The steam may be taken from the chamber or chambers
required for use.
In addition to the advantages above referred to (as resulting from our
improvements) of an increase of steam space, the prevention of priming, and
the strengthening of the ends of the boiler, there are other advantages
resulting from the same, such as equalization of expansion, the heating of the
water, the saving of wear and tear, and the dispensing with the need of an
external steam dome, thereby facilitating transit.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, junior, both of Huddersfield, in
the County of York, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson, Her special
licence that we, the said John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Addy
Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said

page_text: John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph Hopkinson, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the 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 we, the said John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph
Hopkinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Boilers has for its object the
increase of steam space in boilers, and consists in the formation of a steam
chamber or chambers of any required shape or dimensions below the surface
of the water, which chamber or chambers is or are in communication with
the ordinary steam space above the surface of the water. By the insertion
of a chamber or chambers as above stated an amount of water is displaced
corresponding with the capacity of the same. A stay or stays for the boiler
is obtained by the connection of the chamber or chambers to the ends thereof.
The chamber or chambers is or are made tight in order to prevent the water
of the boiler from entering, and the steam is admitted into the chamber or
chambers through a series of pipes, the upper ends of which are open and
extend into the ordinary steam space at the top of the boiler. By means of
this series of pipes the steam is conveyed simultaneously from various portions
of the ordinary steam space into the chamber or chambers surrounded by
water, and priming is thereby prevented. The steam may be taken from the
chamber or chambers as required for use.
In addition to the advantages above referred to (as resulting from our
improvements) of an increase of steam space, the prevention of priming, and
the strengthening of the ends of the boiler, there are other advantages
resulting from the same, such as equalization of expansion, the heating of
the water, the saving of wear and tear, and the dispensing with the need of
an external steam dome, thereby facilitating transit.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention we will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which our Invention is repre-
sented as applied to two different kinds of boilers.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a transverse section of an externally fired boiler; Fig. 2 is a
longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a double
fire-box boiler; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 is an end view
of the same. In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
A is the boiler heated as required either by an external fire, as at B in
Fig. 1, or by means of two internal fire-boxes B1 and B2, as shewn in Fig. 3;
C is a steam chamber formed or inserted in the main body of the boiler below
the surface of the water, which chamber is subjected to no pressure except
that of the column of water around it, and is thereby protected from liability
to explosion. More than one steam chamber may be formed or inserted in
the boiler, and may be only partially submerged if preferred, instead of being
entirely so, as represented. A chamber or chambers formed or inserted as
represented will act as a stay to strengthen the ends or the shell of the boiler.
D, D, are a series of tubes with perforated inlets distributed along the upper
steam space, the tubes extending downwards into the top of the chamber C,
thereby forming a series of communications between different parts of the
upper steam space and the chamber. By means of this arrangement steam
will be taken at various points simultaneously, so as to prevent priming by
avoiding a sudden rush of steam from one point only. The requisite com-
munication between the upper steam space and the chamber or chambers
may be formed otherwise than in the manner represented. On reference to
Fig. 3 it will be seen that by forming or inserting the chamber or chambers
beneath the fire-box or flue water which would be useless or detrimental is
displaced, and steam is substituted for the same, thereby equalizing the tem-
perature of the top and bottom of the boiler, and admitting of the insertion
of larger fire-boxes, without interfering with the steam space or water
capacity. Also on reference to Figures 2 and 4 it will be seen that the
steam chamber C is in communication with the steam pipe E, through which
steam will be made to pass to the engine as required.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we would remark that the form and
arrangement of the steam chamber or chambers may be varied, and that they
may be adapted and applied to other forms of boilers besides those repre-
sented; but we hereby declare that what we claim as of our Invention is,-
First. The adaptation and application to boilers of a steam chamber or
chambers formed or inserted below the surface of the water, such chambe

page_text: or chambers being in communication with the upper steam space and the
steam pipe, as herein-before described.
And, secondly. The use of such steam chamber or chambers as a means of
strengthening the boiler, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Addy Hopkinson and Joseph
Hopkinson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-third
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
cixty-eight
)
(L.S.)
JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON.
JOSEPH HOPKINSON, Junior. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN JAMES ROEBUCK,
St. Peter's Street, Huddersfield,
Cashier.