AN: IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING STEAM TO WATER TO HEAT THE SAME, AND IN PREVENTING WHAT IS TECHNICALLY CALLED PRIMING OF STEAM
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Octavius Henry Smith, of the Thames Bank
Distillery, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN:
IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING STEAM TO WATER TO HEAT THE SAME, AND IN
PREVENTING WHAT IS TECHNICALLY CALLED PRIMING OF STEAM."
Sealed the 8th January 1858, and dated the 28th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Octavius Henry Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
28th July 1857.
I, OCTAVIUS HENRY SMITH, of the Thames Bank Distillery, in the County.
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "An
IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING STEAM TO WATER TO HEAT THE SAME, AND IN PREVENT-
ING WHAT IS TECHNICALLY CALLED PRIMING OF STEAM," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in supplying steam to.
water to heat the same, and in preventing what is technically called priming
Heretofore in supplying steam to water, in order to heat it, much,
noise and vibration have been produced, and my improvement is directed to.
the prevention of such noise and vibration. For which purpose, in place of
permitting the stream or streams of steam, passing from a supply pipo, to come
directly in contact with the water to be heated thereby, the outlet or outlets
are surrounded by a quantity of matter in such manner as to produce an
infinite number of interstices, and it is preferred to use a large quantity of;

page_text: small pieces of metal, pebbles, or it may be of other substances, through and
amongst which the steam passes before getting to the water; and in prevent-
ing steam priming, the steam chest of a steam boiler is divided from the
boiler by a perforated plate or partition of woven wire, and on such partition
is placed a quantity of pebbles or of other matters or materials, so ns to
produco an infinite number of interstices through and amongst which the
stenm asses
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Octavius Henry Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OCTAVIUS
HENRY SMITH, of the Thames Bank Distillery, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Octavius Henry Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Octavius
Henry Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
tho said Octavius Henry Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.
should at any time agreo 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING STEAM TO WATER TO HEAT THE SAME, AND IN
PREVENTING WHAT IS TECHNICALLY CALLED PRIMING OF STEAM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Octavius Henry Smith, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their or one of
their hands and scals, 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 Patont.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Octavius Henry Smith, do heroby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object an improvement in supplying steam to
water to heat the same, and in preventing what is technically called priming
of steam. Heretofore in supplying steam to water, in order to heat it, much
noise and vibration have been produced, and my improvement is directed to
the prevention of such noise and vibration. For which purpose, in place of
permitting the stream or streams of steam, passing from a supply pipe, to come
directly in contact with the water heated thereby, the outlet or outlets are
surrounded by a quantity of matter in such manner as to produce an infinite
number of interstices, and it is preferred to use a large quantity of small
pieces of metal, pebbles, or it may be of other substances, through and amongst
which the steam passes before getting to the water; and in preventing
steam priming, the steam chest of a steam boiler is divided from the boiler by
a perforated plate or partition of woven wire, and on such partition is placed
à quantity of pebbles or of other matters or materials, so as to produce an
infinite number of interstices, through and amongst which the steam passes.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same. Near the bottom of
the vessel in which the water is contained there is placed a box or chamber
composed of woven wire or perforated wood or other material suitable for
containing a quantity of small pieces or cuttings of iron, such as those pro-
duced from the holes when punching plates for riviting, or it may be pebbles
or other insoluble substances, arranged to produce very numerous spaces or
interstices around the ends of the steam pipes, through which the steam is
allowed to flow into the water. It is preferred that this box or containing
chamber should be supported some few inches abovo the bottom of the vessel
in which the water is contained, but this is not essential, and it is desirable
that the box or chamber should be perforated (reticulate) on all sides and at
the top and bottom, so that the water and the steam may have free passages
in all directions. The steam pipe by which steam is introduced into the water"
contained in a vessel descends into the box or chamber, and its lower end is
surrounded on all sides and below with the pieces of iron or other substances
packed closely and yet so as to leave small spaces between the numerous
pieces. The larger pieces are placed nearest the outlet, and the smaller
picces more distant from the outlet of the steam pipe. I have found that
when using a steam pipe of five inches diameter that a very beneficial result
has been obtained by employing therewith a box or chamber (filled with such
substances) about two feet diameter and eighteen inches deep, into which the
steam pipe descends about nine inches; I do not however confine myself to
these relative proportions. By these means steam may be allowed to flow

page_text: into water, or into water having other matters mixed therewith, and such
water may be heated by free steam without producing those noises and
vibrations which are so objectionable. If the water be impure, or the matters,
mixed with the water are found to settle and remain amongst the interstices.
and on the surfaces of the pieces of metal or other substances, then it will be
desirable to remove the same occasionally from the box or chamber in order
to their being washed and cleansed. In order to prevent what is called,
priming in steam boilers a perforated or reticulate partition is placed between
the upper part of the steam boiler and the lower part of the steam chest or
steam chamber, and on such perforated or reticulate partition, and between
it and a second perforated or reticulate partition, is placed a quantity of
small pieces or cuttings of metal, say from half an inch to an inch diameter;
the forms of such pieces may however be very irregular, and even larger or.
smaller pieces may be used, and these are employed to the extent of five or.
six inches deep, through and amongst which the steam passes into the steam
chamber or steam compartment of the boiler. It is preferred to use heat-
conducting matters, such as .metal, for this purpose, though other substancos
may be employed, and woven wire cloth is believed to be most suitable
for the partitions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Octavius Henry Smith, have hereunto
hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
set my
OCTAVIUS HENRY SMITH. (L.S.)
Witness,
TH. VALENTINE SMITH,
of Thames Bank Distillery,
Westminster.