IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC HEATERS OR FURNACES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stettinius Clark, of Camden Town, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
HEATERS OR FURNACES."-A communication from Lewis W. Leeds, of
Philadelphia, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th December 1856, and dated the 12th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stettinius Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th September 1856.
I, WILLIAM STETTINIUS CLARK, of Camden Town, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC HEATERS OR FURNACE," (being a communication from the In-
ventor, Lewis W. Leeds, of Philadelphia, United States of America,) to be
as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a large water-tight iron chest or box, having
hexagonal or other air tubes passing through; these tubes are each divided
into a number of compartments by radial plates. The fire is applied directly
to the bottom of the furnace, and the products of combustion are carried off in
the rear of the apparatus and escape by a pipe provided for that purpose.
The cold air to be heated is to be introduced at the back, and passes through
the tubes and rises from their front ends to the top of the box or chest, whence
it is conducted to the desired departments from pipes. The box and tubes

page_text: therein are placed in a slight inclination, so that the air will be more readily
drawn through the tubes. The radial plates run longitudinally through the
hexagonal or other form of tubes. The object of the said plates is to augment
the radiating surface, and thus to heat the air more thoroughly. It is
universally conceded that hot-water apparatuses are the safest and best means
of warming apartments of any that have been devised. The ordinary hot-air
furnaces are liable to become over heated and the air vitiated by decomposition
before entering the rcom. These objections do not exist where water is used
as the distributing medium for the heat of the fire. The expense of hot water
furnaces has heretofore formed a serious obstacle to their introduction; by a
peculiar method I have of uniting the joints, the various parts are all cast in
sections and bolted together, so that they form a water-tight and durable whole.
My arrangement for regulating the supply of water to the heater, and
also the amount of air for draught, is simple and efficient, being a reservoir
with a ball cock, which regulates the supply of water, keeping it at any
desired height in the apparatus; and the same float is made to work, after it
has supplied the desired amount of water, to regulate the supply of air to the
fire by a slide which is acted upon by the steam in the apparatus, forcing the
water back into the supply box and raising the float, which lifts the slide up,
and first closes the draught and makes it air tight, and if that should not be
sufficient, slides still further, opening another draught into the chimney
beyond the fire, thus effectually checking the fire with not more than one
half pound of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stettinius Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STETTINIUS CLARK, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Stettinius Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Stettinius Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Stettinius Clark, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: 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 Inven
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC HEATERS OR FURNACES," (a communica-
tion,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Stettinius
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
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 I, the said William Stettinius Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My improvements in hydraulic heaters or furnaces consist,―
First, in enclosing the pipes in a water-tight chest, and allowing the
water to flow around the pipes and the air to pass through them; or, in
other words, forming a chest of water perforated by pipes open at both
ends, through which the air passes; this gives the water greater freedom
to circulate, and requiring it to flow but a short distance from the fire to
the farthest point; and by applying the fire immediately to the bottom of
this perforated chest of water, the bottom is heated equally with the top,
and the heat is thereby distributeȧ most thoroughly, evenly, and rapidly
over the whole heating surface.
Secondly, in the application of hexagonal tubes, which gives several im-
portant advantages; first, the entire control of the water space left between
the air tubes, by which means we have the advantage of using large tubes,
as they are more easily cast and admit a larger amount of air and yet
leaving a small equal stratta of water between each one.
This form of pipe
also facilitates the introduction of the radial strips or divisions through
the pipes, the action of which may thus be described:-The air being a
non-absorbent of radient heat, the rays of heat from the sides of the pipes
(without these divisions) would pass through the column of air therein and
would strike against the opposite side, which is already hot enough, these
divisions affording an additional heating surface.
The great advantage of iny arrangement will be the more appreciated
as it is constantly throwing into the apartments to be warmed a very large

page_text: column of fresh external air moderately heated by passing through the hot
water, thus allowing for the escape of a sufficient amount to form an
abundant ventilation.
The mechanical construction which has enabled me to put all my
theoretical advantages into very satisfactory and practical operation I will
describe as follows:-
Cast iron is universally admitted to be the best material for such purposes,
owing to its great radiating powers and freedom from corrosion. The
difficulty, however, of constructing such an apparatus permanently water-
tight has greatly reduced its usefulness. I bave overcome those difficulties
by casting each row of pipes across the heater and that portion of the head
only which connects them in one piece, thus forming straight joint between
each row or layer of pipes. These pipes are bolted together by rods at each
end running through the top and bottom, and the sides are bolted against
them, thus rendering but few joints necessary.
a
Another part of my improvements consists in the method used for keeping
a constant supply of water, and for the self-regulation of the draft. This is
accomplished by providing a supply box G with a float I therein, which shall
always keep the water to a proper level; and attached to this float is a rod L,
connected with a damper M sliding over and alternately closing two flues,
the upper one leading under the fire to supply it with draft, and the lower
one into the chimney. As soon as the water begins to boil it is forced back
and into this supply box, lifting the damper M until it closes the upper flue,
and making both flues air-tight; this checks the fire, but if not sufficiently,
it slides still further and opens the flue into the chimney, which effectually
checks the draft, so that the water stops boiling, and the float I drops back
and lets in the draft again, so continuing to work without the assistance
of an attendant.
The following is a description of Drawing:-A representing the side of
box or water chest; B, the hexagonal pipes, open at both ends for the free
transmission of the air; C is the space left between the air pipes for the cir-
culation of the water; D, the fine; E, the smoke pipe; F, F, F, F, hot air
pipes for conducting the hot air into the apartments to be heated; G, the
supply box or reservoir; II, corrugations on the bottom plate for giving an
additional amount of fire surface; I, the float; L is a rod connected with a
damper M, for purposes herein described.
Having thus described my improvements in hydraulic heaters or furnaces,
what I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,
the construction of an air-heating furnace by a series of parallel layers of pipes,

page_text: whose interiors shall form the air-heating chamber, and whose exterior
sides shall be parallel, all encased and surrounded by water, forming a
perforated chest of water, with the fire applied in or underneath to form the
most direct circulation. I also claim dividing the interiors of said tubes,
irrespective of the form thereof, by the radial brace divisions, as described.
I also claim the manner of regulating the draft by a slide, covering two flues
operated by the float that lets on and cuts off the water. All in the manner,
and for the purposes set forth substantially in the foregoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stettinius Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM STETTINIUS CLARK. (L.S.)