IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, AND IN AIR HEATING ATTACHMENTS OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE FURNACES THEREOF
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, GG,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, AND IN AIR HEATING
ATTACHMENTS OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE FURNACES THEREOF." A
communication from abroad by Benjamin Talbot Babbitt, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 2nd June 1876, and dated the 25th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1876.
6
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
BOILERS, AND IN AIR HEATING ATTACHMENTS OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE
FURNACES THEREOF."
This Invention includes two general divisions, one of which relates to the heating
of the air before it is introduced to the furnace of a steam boiler, for the purpose of
promoting combustion in the furnace or for supplying heated air for other purposes,
and the other of which relates to the steam generating parts or devices of a steam
boiler. These two general divisions are subdivided to include special peculiarities
of construction as regards steam boilers and air heating attachments thereto.
The first or one part of the Invention consists in a certain combination with a
boiler case or chamber and its ash-pit of an upper horizontal or approximately
horizontal tube chamber, a superposed upright tube chamber, and an intermediate
chamber, together with various apertures and ducts for heating the air in its down-
ward course to the furnace of the boiler. The gases of combustion pass from the
fire chamber of the boiler into the horizontal tubes, and thence through the inter-
mediate chamber to the vertical tubes heating the saine in their progress and before
escaping by the chimney. The air for supporting combustion in the furnace enters
the vertical tube chamber, and circulating round the tubes becomes heated. It
thence passes into the horizontal tube chamber, and after circulating among the
horizontal tubes escapes by a flue to the ash-pit. By means of an arrangement of
elbow steam jet pipes situate in the intermediate chamber opposite the ends of the
horizontal and vertical tubes, these tubes may be readily cleaned by the action of
steam jets thereon.

page_text: The second part of the Invention consists in a certain combination of tubes, flues,
and passages, whereby a most efficient and economical heating surface is obtained
for the rapid production of steam, also hot air is freely supplied to the furnace of
the boiler, and the whole made to combine great compactness with strength. This
combination includes a series of annularly arranged upright air heating tubes, down
which the air to be heated descends in coinbination with an outside jacket or return
flue, an inner cylindrical boiler chamber provided with direct upright smoke tubes
or flues, an outer surrounding case, and the ash-pit to which the heated air is
conducted.
The next or third part of the Invention consists in certain novel combinations of
means for heating by the escaping products of combustion an incoming current or
currents of air in locomotive engines, and for supplying such heated air to the
furnace of the engine, whereby fuel is economized and a better or more perfect
combustion effected, and in case of soft coal being used the smoke is consumed.
This part of the Invention comprises an upright tubular air heater arranged above
the boiler, a surrounding outer case to said heater, and a smoke stack or outlet
connecting the boiler or its smoke box with the tubular air heater. Futherinore
this part of the Invention comprises a feature which is applicable to steam boilers
generally, and is composed of hot air ducts or branches applied to the front of the ash-
pit and door of the furnace, in combination with a hot air pipe or duct leading from
the air heater to the ash-pit. The hot air which these ducts draw from the ash-pit
is supplied thereto by a pipe which leads from the air heater above the boiler to the
ash-pit. A spark arrester is placed in the case, which encloses the air heater and
serves to prevent the particles of live coal from entering the chimney. The air is
supplied to this heater by means of a trumpet mouthed tube, which faces the course
of the engine, and thus takes in the air at a pressure due to the speed of the
engine.
Another or fourth part of the Invention consists in an upright tubular steam
boiler with upper tubular air heaters attached, designed to be supplied with air by
means of a fan or other blower, and a hot air pipe or duct leading from the air
heater to the ash-pit, and hot air ducts or branches applied to the door and the ash-
pit of the furnace as in the last described arrangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th July
1876.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
BOILERS, AND IN AIR HEATING ATTACHMENTS OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE
FURNACES THEREOF." A communication to me from abroad by Benjamin Talbot
Babbitt, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates, first, to the heating of air before it is introduced to the
furnace of a steam boiler, for the purpose of promoting combustion in the furnace
or for supplying heated air for other purposes, and secondly to the steam generating
parts or devices of a steam boiler. These two general divisions are subdivided to
include special peculiarities of construction as regards steam boilers and air heating
attachments thereto.
The first or one part of the Invention consists in a certain combination with a
boiler case or chamber and its ash-pit of an upper horizontal or approximately hori-
zontal tube chamber, a superposed upright tube chamber, and an intermediate
chamber, together with various apertures and ducts for heating the air in its down-
ward course to the furnace of the boiler.
The second part of the Invention consists in a certain combination of tubes, flues,
and passages, whereby a most efficient and economical heating surface is obtained

page_text: for the rapid production of steam, also hot air is freely supplied to the furnace of
the boiler, and the whole made to combine great compactness with strength. This
combination includes a series of annularly arranged upright air heating tubes, down
which the air to be heated descends, in combination with an outside jacket or
return flue, an inner cylindrical boiler chamber provided with direct upright smoke
tubes or flues, an outer surrounding case, and the ash-pit to which the heated air is
conducted.
The next or third part of the Invention consists in certain novel combinations of
means for heating by the escaping products of combustion, an incoming current
or currents of air in locomotive engines, and for supplying such heated air to the
furnace of the engine, whereby fuel is economized and a better or more perfect
combustion effected, and in case of soft coal being used the smoke is consumed.
This part of the Invention comprises an upright tubular air heater arranged above
the boiler, a surrounding outer case to said heater, and a smoke stack or outlet
connecting the boiler or its smoke box with the tubular air heater. Furthermore
this part of the Invention comprises a feature which is applicable to steam boilers
generally, and is composed of hot air ducts or branches applied to the front of the
ash-pit and door of the furnace in combination with a hot air pipe or duct leading
from the air heater to the ash-pit.
Another or fourth part of the Invention consists in an upright tubular steam
boiler with upper tubular air heater attached, designed to be supplied with air by
means of a fan or other blower, and a hot air pipe or duct leading from the air
heater to the ash-pit, and hot air ducts or branches applied to the door and ash-pit
of the furnace.
The object or objects and nature of the Invention having been thus explained it
will now be described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section an air heating apparatus connected with a
steam boiler and constructed in accordance with the first part of the Invention.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section of a steam boiler constructed according to
the improvements constituting the second part of the Invention; and Figure 3 is a
horizontal section of the same on the line x, .
Figure 4 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a locomotive engine boiler
with the Invention as constructed in accordance with the third part of the
Invention applied; and Figure 5 a horizontal section through the air heater thereof
on the line y, Y.
Figure 6 represents a sectional vertical view of a steam boiler with air heater
attached in accordance with the fourth part of the Invention.
Referring in the first instance to the first part of the Invention, as shewn in
Figure 1 of the Drawing, the steam boiler there represented is a sectional one
composed of hollow uprights A of a waved or serpentine construction, and having
hollow arms B projecting laterally from them, but this part of the Invention is not
restricted to any particular construction of steam generator; C is the fire-grate of
said boiler, and D the ash-pit; E is an upper chamber at the back or to one side
of the boiler, enclosing chamber F and containing any number of horizontal or
approximately horizontal tubes G through which the sinoke and gaseous products
of combustion pass from the chamber F; H is a chamber into which the products
of combustion pass from the tubes C, and from which they escape through upright
tubes I within a chamber J into the chimney K, said chamber J being above the
level of the chainber E. The air to be heated is introduced through one or more aper-
tures b into the upper portion of the chamber J, within which it circulates, passing in
a downward direction between and among or around the tubes I, and from thence
through one or more lower openings d in the chamber J into an air chamber or
passage mounted on or enclosing the chamber E, and from whence it passes by one
or more apertures f into the upper back portion of the chamber E. The air thus
partially heated then circulates in a forward direction between and among or around
the tubes C, and finally escapes by one or more forward lower openings into an
upright duct L, down which it passes, and ultimately escapes by a lower opening h

page_text: into the ash-pit D of the boiler furnace. In this way or by these means the air is
thoroughly heated before passing to the boiler furnace, and thus combustion is
economized or accelerated. Arranged within the chamber H are any number of
steam jet pipes M provided with both lateral and upper discharging nozzles m, set
to project towards and in close proximity with those ends of the tubes G, I, which
open into the chamber H, so that by letting the steam into the pipe or pipes M both
sets of tubes may be simultaneously cleared or blown out.
Referring in the next instance to the second part of the Invention, as illustrated
in Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings, A' is the outer case of the boiler which is
cylindrical centrally; within this outer case is a cylindrical chamber B', which forms
the water space of the boiler and which is stocked or provided with upright smoke
tubes C, arranged to establish communication between the fire chamber D¹ through
the crown sheet b' and an upper cylindrical smoke box E' of somewhat less diameter
than the chamber B', so as to leave an annular space C around said smoke box for
the escape of steam from the chamber B' into a drum or cylindrical chamber F',
from whence the steam may be drawn off as required. The crown sheet of this
steam drum or chamber F¹ extends across the chamber B', leaving a second or upper
smoke chamber G¹ in the upper part of the chamber B¹, and which smoke chamber
is in free communication by the neck or passage d' with the smoke box E¹ below
it. His the fire grate and I the feed opening to the fire place D¹. J¹ is
the ash-pit, and K' the smoke stack or chimney. The products of combustion escape
from the upper smoke chamber G' through upper lateral distributing apertures f¹
into an annular jacket L¹, which comprises the space lying between the outer case
or shell A¹ and the cylinder B'. The products of combustion thus admitted to and
around the cylinder B¹ pass down said annular jacket L, which acts as a return
flue and ultimately pass out through lower distributing apertures g¹ into a lower
horizontal flue M' on the outside of the case A', and from thence into the chimney
K N, N¹, are air heating tubes made to project down within the annular jacket
L', and connecting the ash-pit J1 with the air space above the boiler; said tubes may
form a continuous annular cluster around the cylinder B¹, and where the fuel
feeding opening I occurs may connect with a passage ', outside of or enclosing the
top and side of said opening for fuel, and the passage h¹ may be made to com-
municate at its bottom with the ash-pit. The other tubes N¹ directly connect with
the ash-pit. A vertical boiler constructed as described not only combines compact-
ness with strength but is exceedingly economical as regards its consumption of fuel
and generates steam rapidly. Thus the boiler furnace or ash-pit thereof is copiously
supplied with well distributed columns of air descending within the tubes N¹ and
which are highly heated before reaching the ash-pit by reason of the exposure
of said tubes to the products of combustion within the annular jacket L' and
radiation from the cylinder B thus promoting combustion by supplying the furnace
with hot air which is introduced in a distributed manner to the ash-pit.
very large and efficient fire or heating surface is also provided for the boiler
by means of the interior smoke flues or tubes C, the smoke chambers E, G, having
the steam drum or space F¹ in between then, and the outside return flue or jacket
L'
This combination not only effects a most perfect utilization of the products of
combustion, but loss of heat by outside radiation from the boiler proper is prevented.
Referring in the next instance to Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawing, in illustration of
the third part of the Invention, A² is the steam generating portion or body of a
locomotive engine boiler, B it's fire-box, C the ash-pit, D the smoke box, and
E the smoke stack or outlet for the escaping products of combustion. Mounted on
the boiler or smoke outlet E² thereof, is a tubular air-heating structure G2 consisting
of a cylindrical or other shaped body having smoke tubes 2 passing up through
it in communication below with a smoke-receiving space with which the smoke
outlet E connects. Surrounding or enclosing this air heater G2 is a case: H of larger
area in its transverse.section than said heater, and into the upper portion of which
the escaping products of combustion from the tubes 62 pass, and within which and
around the heater G² said products, or such portions of them as do not directly pass
A

page_text: out to the atmosphere through an upper perforated spark arresting plate or
diaphragm I and outlet Es are free to circulate. This case He serves to receive any
heated solid products of combustion, including cinders and sparks, passing off
up through the tubes 62 and checked by the spark arrester I from escaping into
the atmosphere. Doors may be provided at the bottom of said case for the
removal from time to time of such collected products of combustion. An air
heating structure G³ thus encased in nowise impedes the draft, while the escape
of cinders and sparks to the atmosphere is effectually prevented, and the escaping
products of combustion are utilizod in a most advantageous manner to the heating
of air for supplying the furnace with highly heated air, thereby promoting
combustion, economizing fuel, and, in case of the fuel being soft coal, consuming the
smoke. The air is supplied to said heater G2 by a trumpet or other suitably shaped
air-receiving nozzle or inlet pipe J² arranged to face outside of the case H2
in a forward direction relatively to the engine's travel, and to connect at its
inner end with the air space of the heater G preferably near the top of the latter.
This arrangement of the air inlet J2 insures a natural forced and copious supply of
air when the engine is in forward motion, and establishes a hot blast to the furnace.
The air thus admitted to the heater G circulates freely among or around the smoke
tubes be, and after becoming highly heated in said structure, passes off by a pipe K
to the ash-pit C of the furnace for supplying the latter with hot air below the grate.
A portion of such highly heated air however, is or may be supplied to the furnace
above the grate, the further to promote combustion and consume sinoke, by means of
a branch or turned-up elbow and duct M² projecting from the front of the ash-pit
and communicating when the furnace door O2 is closed with a corresponding branch
or turned-down elbow and duct N attached to said door. This branch or duct N
either communicates with the fire box in a direct manner through the furnace door,
or in an indirect manner through a perforated distributor on the inside of the door
which is made hollow for the purpose. The meeting ends of the ducts M, N²,
of which latter there may be any number, in nowise interfere with the opening
of the door, and any hot air escaping by the duct M², when the furnace door is open,
will be taken by the natural draft into the fire and thus be prevented from burning
the fireman or attendant in charge.
Referring, in conclusion, to Figure 6 of the Drawing, in illustration of the
4th part of the Invention A³ is an upright tubular steam boiler having upright tubes
which connect with the furnace below and with a smoke drum B above. This
drum has a free space around it for the passage of the steam to a steam chamber
Carranged above it, and from which the steam may be taken as required; D³
is an upper tubular air heater, the tubes or flues through which connect
at their lower ends with a smoke chamber F3 which in its turn is con-
nected by one or more passages f³ with the smoke drum B³. The upper ends
of the tubes f³ of this heater connect with an upper smoke chamber
Gon which is mounted the chimney or stack H³. Air is admitted to the
tubular heater D³ by a fan or blower through an upper side inlet 13, and after
circulating among or around and between the tubes d³ of the heater passes in a
highly heated condition down a pipe or duct K³ to the ash-pit of the furnace, from
whence it may be distributed partly below the fire and partly above it by means of
ducts M, N, applied to the furnace and ash-pit doors, and meeting at their
adjacent ends when said doors are closed, as and for the purposes herein-before
described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings. An upright tubular
boiler thus constructed and provided with an air heating attachment will be found
very economical and perfect as regards combustion of the fuel and generation
of steam.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Steau
Boilers and in Air-heating Attachments or Apparatus applicable to the Furnaces
thereof," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
1st. The combination with the boiler case or chamber F and ash-pit D, of the

page_text: tubular air-heating chambers E, J, the intermediate chamber H, and the several
apertures and ducts for passing or circulating air through the several air-heating
chambers and conveying it to the furnace or its ash-pit, substantially as described
and shewn in Figure 1 of the Drawings.
2nd. The air heating tubes N¹ in combination with the annular jacket or return
flue L', the cylinder B' of the boiler with its smoke tubes or flues C¹, the outer case
A', and the ash-pit J¹, essentially as described and shewn in Figures 2 and 3 of the
Drawings.
3rd. The combination of a tubular air-heater G, with the outer case H², and
smoke stack or outlet E, essentially as described and shewn in Figures 4 and 5 of
the Drawings.
4th. The combination of the outer case H2, the air-heater G, the spark arrester
I, and the smoke stack or outlet E³, substantially as specified with reference to
Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
5th. The hot air ducts or branches M, N, applied to the ash-pit and furnace
door, in combination with the bot air pipe or duct K, leading from the air-heater to
the ash-pit, substantially as described and shewn in Figure 4 of the Drawings.
6th. A tubular upright steam-boiler, having a tubular air-heating apparatus
mounted thereon, and connected with the furnace of the boiler or its ash-pit
substantially as described with reference to Figure 6 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.