Improvements in Steam Boilers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Steam Boilers.
I, HENRIC CHRISTIAN VOGT of 10 Euston Square in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
These improvements have chiefly reference to the socalled locomotive boilers,
consisting now mainly of the cylindrical shell containing a number of horizontal
through tubes and the fire-box-part which comprises large flat and heavily stayed
surfaces. A horizontal cylindrical shell containing horizontal tubes for the flame and
products of combustion to pass through affords the most efficient and compactly
arranged heating surface possible, if the horizontal shell could be provided throughout
with tubes, and if it were not for the heavy and expensive fire box, the construction
of which prevents the cylindrical shell from being provided throughout with tubes
the ordinary locomotive boiler would be perhaps the most efficient type of steam
boiler.
According to my invention I supersede the ordinary fire-box of the locomotive
boiler and substitute therefor a very much lighter tubulous structure, containing a
greatly increased and more effective heating surface, and whereby I am enabled at
the same time to provide the cylindrical shell throughout with tubes for hot gases,
both in the steam space and in the water space of the boiler. This tubulous struct ue
consists of a number of tube elements placed close to each other, each element
consisting of an upper transverse straight or curved or partly curved member and two
downward extensions or legs, which legs are also connected by a transverse tube some
distance below the top member so that when the elements are put together, the
transverse tubes will divide the fire box into an upper and a lower chamber. The
legs on each side are connected below by a common tube which would generally be
horizontal or nearly so, and these common connecting tubes are again connected in
any suitable manner with the cylindrical shell causing water circulation therewith.
Or instead of connecting the lower ends of all the legs on each side by means of a
pipe I sometimes connect the legs by cross connecting pipes below, in which case I
only need one common connecting pipe for all the bottom members of the tube
elements. All the top members are by small pipes connected to one or two steam
collecting pipes, which would also be connected to the cylindrical shell part of the
boiler. The whole assemblage of elements. connected as described and thus forming
a fire box, is placed up against the fire-box-end of the cylindrical shell part.
The front of this tubulous fire box is closed in any suitable manner, and may be
provided with a fuel supply hopper, fuel inlet opening to the fire-box and stoking
appliance. The fuel if solid, may be burned on an ordinary grate, or the fire-box may

page_text: be arranged to burn liquid fuel, or the fire-box may in fact, in this respect be arranged
in any suitable manner according to the fuel and other requirements.
The flame and products of combustion will, in some cases pass off at the back, as in
the ordinary locomotive boiler, but in other cases first pass through the lower tubes
and then back through the upper tubes and the upper chamber of the fire-box and off
by a front uptake to the chimney.
In the accompanying drawings I have shewn my invention applied to a boiler of
the locomotive type but with a very short shell which is provided throughout with
horizontal tubes, the boiler shown being suitable for steam fire engines, steam launches,
and torpedo boats and for other purposes where large heating surface, small water
space and facility for getting up steam quickly are desirable. It will, however, be
understood that this is not, by any means, the only form or embodiment of my
invention which is also for instance applicable to the ordinary boiler for a locomotive
or portable engine.
I have here shown a very short shell, because in many cases with the largely
increased heating surface in the fire box, the cylindrical shell may advantageously be
shortened, and especially if the uptake is arranged in front.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boiler, with tubulous fire box, the outer cover or
cleathing being removed; figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same;
figure 3 is a longitudinal horizontal- section on line xy; figure 4 is a front view of
the tubulous elements or parts of the fire box and figure 5 a part view of a tubulous
fire box element with rectangular corners. Figure 6 is a front view of another form
of tubulous fire box.
Each element of the tubulous fire-box consists of a tube T bent into the shape of
an arched window and furnished with a cross tube C which connects the two sides or legs,
the front eleinent at the fire door end may have more than one cross connecting tube C.
The cross tubes C may be horizontal or as shown slightly inclined or considerably
inclined to increase the circulation in the elements. When these tubular frames are
put together, side by side, there will be formed a lower chamber L for the fuel and
fire, and an upper chamber U through which the hot gases may pass.
The legs of the clements T are on each side connected to the lower tubes or sub-
structures W, W, which may be square round or other suitable section. The
cylindrical part A of the boiler may be connected to the tube plate B by a flanged ring F,
the tube plate being of a contour to suit the form of the tubulous elements T. The
funnel may be at either end of the boiler when at the back end of the cylindrical part A
of the boiler, like on ordinary locomotives, then so much of the fire gases ought to
pass between the cross tubes C and into and through the upper chamber U of the fire
box, as to dry the steam thoroughly, both in the steam space of the tube elements T
and in the steam space of the cylindrical part A of the boiler, through the upper tubes
of which latter the fire gases pass and the amount of hot gases admitted into the said
upper chamber U can with great advantage be regulated by partly or wholly stopping
up one or more of the intervals between the cross connecting pipes C or by means of
a horizontal damper sliding upon the top of the cross tubes Cand if desired provided
with narrow cross slits corresponding to the number of tubes C. The cylindrical
part A of the boiler may therefore be fitted throughout with tubes as indicated. When
the funnel is at the fire-box-end of the boiler, then the intervals, if any in that case
between the cross tubes C must be closed, to prevent the fire-gases which must be
forced through the tubes of the water space and return through the tubes of the steam
space of the cylinder A from entering directly into the chamber U above the tubes C.
The tube elements T of which the fire-box is composed may be made in the following
way. The tubes C are furnished with a tee piece at one end, and a cross piece, with
a removable plug, at the other end for the sake of being able to clean the tubes C.
The junction having been effected between the cross tube C and the upper arched or
rectangular part of the tube element T by expanding its ends into the tee piece
and cross piece respectively and afterwards brazing these junctions, the legs may
afterwards be screwed on. The whole element can also be made of copper or the
upper arched part only. The longitudinal tubes W may be connected by one or more

page_text: transverse pipes V and afterwards fastened in any convenient way to the cylindrical
boiler A.
The steam spaces of the tubulous elements are connected to the steam pipe 00 by
means of small pipes P expanded into or otherwise fixed in holes of the respective
pipes, or by means of bent Hange pipes. The connection between the tubes T and W
can be made in various ways, such as by means of flanges or screw sockets, so as to be
able to renew or remove each element separately if required, or by expanding the ends
of the tubes T into holes in the substructure W. The ends of the tubes T are by pre-
ference made tapered before expanding them into the substructures W thus enabling
the elements to be put close.
When the outer covering or cleathing of the fire box has been secured to the sub-
structure W the whole fire box is united to the cylindrical boiler A when the sub-
structure W as well as the cleathing is fastened properly thereto. The front of the
boiler may be made of iron plate D covered with asbestos or other nonconducting
material and a box E for the fuel, solid or liquid, may be attached to the front plate.
When coals are used they will thus be heated before arriving to the grate, on which
they are pushed by means of a rake with hooks which are raised and carry the coals
with them, when the rake is pushed in, whereas the hooks slide under the coals when
the rake is drawn out; the fire-door is avoided by this contrivance, only a window
being required at I. As the coals gradually become heated to ignition by this process,
smoke will be avoided. The rake or rakes may be moved occasionally by hand or
periodically by some meclianical connection to the engine.
In Figure 6 the tube elements T are made narrow and wide alternating with each
other, the bottom tubes W being made wider for admitting of the legs being
connected thereto.
0
As a variation from what is shown in the drawings, the steam collecting pipe O may
enter the front end, or tube plate, of the cylindrical part A of the boiler instead of
running along over the top of it as here shown, and the tube elements have then to be
so much less in height, as to bring the said pipe O so much further down. The water
collecting tubes may in a similar way enter, or be fastened to the front end, or tube
plate of the cylindrical boiler.
Also as stated in the preamble I sometimes form such tube element with a bottom
cross connecting pipe, in which case I only need one common connecting pipe for all
these bottom members of the tube elements.
An entire boiler may be made up of my tubulous elements or, as already stated, an
assemblage of such elements may be combined with other boilers or boiler elements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
FirstA tubulous fire-box or boiler consisting of tube elements T connected with
each other at their lower ends or legs, and connected at their upper parts with a steam
collecting pipe or pipes substantially as set forth.
Second: A boiler consisting of a horizontal cylindrical part A, provided throughout
with horizontal tubes, and connected to a tubulous fire box consisting of tube
elements T substantially as set forth.
Third: In a compound boiler consisting of tubulous fire box elements T and a
horizontal cylindrical boiler fitted with tubes throughout regulating the amount of
heat passing through these tubes by means of the intervals between the transverse
water tubes C of the tubular fire-box substantially as set forth.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Patent Agents.