IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN HOLLOW CLOSED VESSELS AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE WHEN PREPARING FOR AND FASTENING TUBES INTO STEAM BOILERS OR OTHER VESSELS REQUIRING TUBES TO BE FIXED THEREIN
Year: 1854

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Thomas Prosser, of the City and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but now of Birkenhead, in the
County of Cheshire, Merchant and Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN HOLLOW CLOSED VESSELS
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE WHEN PREPARING FOR AND FASTENING
TUBES INTO STEAM BOILERS OR OTHER VESSELS REQUIRING TUBES TO BE FIXED
THEREIN
Sealed the 27th March 1855, and dated tlie 4th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Prosser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1854.
I, THOMAS PROSSER, of the City & State of New York, in the United States
of America, but now of Birkenhead, in the County of Cheshire, Merchant
& Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN HOLLOW.CLOSED VESSELS
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE WHEN PREPARING FOR & FASTENING TUBES
INTO STEAM BOILERS OR OTHER VESSELS REQUIRING TUBES TO THE FIXED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:-
My improvements relate in part to welding together the parts forming the

page_text: sides and ends, edges or rims, of hollow vessels, in place of applying rivets or
other like fastenings to such parts, in order that when thus welded the whole
may be as one piece of wrought metal. In order to effect the welding of the
parts at the junctions, I first temporarily unite them by pins or dowels, and
then subject them to a welding heat in a suitable furnace and the application
of pressure, as when welding iron tubes and other articles; and I produce a
double welding by welding at one operation the edges of two opposite plates to
the intervening metal. Vessels thus formed are especially adapted as "hollow
slabs," to be used in the manufacture of water backs & smiths' water tuyeres,
and various other purposes.
The improvements also relate to forming the holes in the plates to receive
the ends of tubes with a hollow or recess in the mid thickness thereof, together
with countersunk or rounded edges, by drills prepared to drill and countersink
at one setting, combined with a fluted rimer and countersink, for equalizing
size of holes & countersink at one other setting of the tube plate; also
drills for chambering or forming the hollow or recess in the mid thickness of
the plates after boring.. The chambering drill has a moveable, cutter, capable
of being regulated to depth of cut, or readily withdrawn at any moment, with
moveable change blocks to suit different size of hole.
And also to securing the ends of the tubes in the holes thus prepared by
expanding them to the figure of the hole in the plate, and this I accomplish
by what I call a "treble expander," as it expands the end of the tube into the
hollow groove or recess in the mid thickness of the plate, as also to the two
bevilled or countersunk edges of the hole, by which increased support will be
given to the ends of the tubes, to prevent splitting & bursting. And this
mode of securing the ends of tubes into such wrought-iron hollow vessels &
the instruments employed are equally applicable to effect the fastening the
ends of tubes into steam engine & other boiler plates, or the plates of other
vessels or apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 30
by the said Thomas Prosser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PROSSER, of the City and State of New York, in the United States of
America, but now of Birkenhead, in the County of Cheshire, Merchant and 35.
Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Prosser, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Prosser, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Prosser,
my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN
HOLLOW CLOSED VESSELS AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE WHEN PREPARING FOR AND
FASTENING TUBES INTO STEAM BOILERS OR OTHER VESSELS REQUIRING TUBES TO BE
FIXED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Prosser, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Thomas Prosser, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My improvements relate in part to welding together the parts forming the
sides and ends, edges or rims, of hollow vessels, in place of applying rivets or
other like fastenings to such parts, in order that when thus welded the whole
may be as one piece of wrought metal. In order to effect the welding of the
parts at the junctions, I first temporarily unite them by pins or dowels, and
then subject them to a welding heat in a suitable furnace and the application
of pressure, as when welding iron tubes and other articles; and I produce a
double welding by welding at one operation the edges of two opposite plates to
the intervening metal. Vessels thus formed are especially adapted as "hollow
slabs," to be used in the manufacture of water backs and smiths' water
tuyeres, and various other purposes.
The improvements also relate to forming the holes in the plates to receive
the ends of tubes with a hollow or recess in the mid thickness thereof, together
with countersunk or rounded edges, by drills prepared to drill and countersink
at one setting, combined with a fluted rimer and countersink, for equalizing

page_text: the tube into the
size of holes and countersink at one other setting of the tube plate; also
drills for chambering or forming the hollow or recess in the mid thickness
of the plates after boring. The chambering drill has a moveable cutter,
capable of being regulated to depth of cut, or readily withdrawn at any
moment, with moveable change blocks to suit different size of holes..
And also to securing the ends of the tubes in the holes thus prepared, by
expanding them to the figure of the hole in the plate, and this I accomplish
by what I call a "treble expander," as it expands the end of
hollow groove or recess in the mid thickness of the plate, as also to the two
bevilled or countersunk edges of the hole, by which increased support will be
given to the ends of the tubes to prevent splitting and bursting. And this
mode of securing the ends of tubes into such wrought-iron hollow vessels
and the instruments employed are equally applicable to effect the fastening
the ends of tubes into steam engine and other boiler plates, or the plates of
other vessels or apparatus.
But that the nature of my said Invention and the means which I adopt for
carrying the same into effect may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Drawings annexed.
Sheet A, Fig. 1, represents a water back for a kitchen range, in which a
and a represent two short pieces of binding tubes passing through it, for the
purpose of keeping the two plates, of which it is chiefly composed, parallel or
nearly parallel to each other. b is a hole, passing through one plate only, and
is tapped, for the purpose of screwing in a flow pipe, to convey the water as it
becomes heated to a vessel containing water at any height above the top of
the aforesaid water back; and 6 is a similar hole, to connect the ebb pipe,
and convey the same or other water back to be heated, and as it becomes
heated to be conveyed away in like manner through the hole 6 by the flow
pipe, to be screwed therein. C is a hole similar to the two previously described,
and tapped also, for the purpose of screwing in a blow-off pipe and cock, for
the purpose of drawing off any sediment that may remain in the bottom of the
water back.
Fig. 2 represents the fire-side or front view of a smith's water tuyere, the
back of which has all three pipes, b, b', and c, namely, the flow, the ebb, and
the blow-off pipes, as previously described in Fig. 1. The pipes themselves are
herein shown, and are also marked b, b', and c. The pipe d is screwed into or
otherwise fastened to the front plate only of the tuyere, and is open to the
water space inside; but through this pipe, and also through the water space
and the opposite side or back plate of the tuyere, a smaller pipe e is passed
and made fast to the back plate, and also to the front end of the pipe d, which

page_text: has an annular ring inside of it, equal to the annular space left for the water
around the pipe e, which is the blast pipe, and through which the bellows or
blower, of whatever kind it may be, forces the air into the fire.
Fig. 3 represents the three component parts of the first part of my Inven-
5tion, and which I have called or designated "hollow slabs;" in which, f
represents the hoop or inner piece, and 9, 9, 9, 9, the back and front, of the
intended water back, water tuyere, water or steam table, as the case may be,
previous to the welding up of the same by my process of double or duplicate
welding.
1
Sheet B, Fig. 4, represents on a large scale and in section the method
which I adopt in fastening the tubes within the tube plates, and in the case of
a water tuyere into each other also. This section is supposed to be taken
diagonally and at random through the smith's water tuyere, so as to shew the
ebb and flow pipes, as well as the binding tubes, blow-off and blast tubes,
complete, in which the same letters as in Sheet A, Figs. 1, 2, 3, are used to
designate the same parts; namely, a is a binding tube, in which the manner
of fastening a tube to the tube plate is shewn, that is to say, by expanding the
tube into a groove cut into the mid thickness of the tube-plate g, as well as
and in addition to the expanding of the same tube on each side of the aforesaid
tube plate, and this manner or method of fastening tubes to tube plates, that
is to say, by treble expansion, as herein-before described, is the second part of
my Invention.
Continuing the description of Fig. 4, represents the flow pipe which
conveys away the heated water, while 6 represents the ebb pipe which conveys
the cooler water into the hollow part of the apparatus; or both may in like
manner convey steam or other fluid body for various purposes. c is the blow-
off pipe and cock, for the purpose of withdrawing any dirt or other sediment
which may be deposited within the water space; d is the tuyere pipe, which
has an annular ring welded into one end thereof; and e is the blast pipe within
the same, in which the method of connecting them to each other and to the
tube plates is fully shown; ff, represent the hoop or band, welded between
the two plates g, g, and g, g.
Sheet C represents my four-cutter drill, with rimer countersink combined to
drill, rimer, and countersink holes in metal at one setting of the same, more
particularly applicable to tube plates of boilers and other vessels requiring
tubes to be fixed therein; in which, Fig. 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 a vertical
section, Fig. 3 an end view, of the under side, and Fig. 4 an end view of the
upper side; Figs. 5 and 6 are front and side elevations of the outer cutters;
and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 1, 1, through the drill blocks and

page_text: four cutters therein, in which a is a pin drill and also a steady pin. The inner
pair of cutters c, c, are let into the drill stock somewhat deeper or nearer to
the centre than the outer pair of cutters c', c'.
These cutters operate at their lower ends only and in annular paths, c¹, c¹,
being the longest, so as to take the lead, and cut through the tube plate first
The annular
and also to a larger diameter than the inner pair of cutters c, c.
paths of the two pairs of cutters are not flat, but a little conical, so as to leave
a ridge in the middle. The outer pair of cutters c', c¹, travel in a path fully
equal to the diamter of the drill stock, but not so near to the centre as the
inner pair of cutters c, c, while the latter do not cut to so great a diameter as
the outer pair of cutters c', c¹; but each pair overlapping, as it were, the path
of the other pair, causes the annular space or path cut out by them to be wider
than either would cut alone, and thus, by placing the cutters in pairs, that is to
say, opposite to each other, the drill is well balanced and kept in its true and
proper path, while the clearance given by each pair to the other pair of cutters
avoids the jamming, which is the fruitful source of breakage to drills in general.
This drill has a rimer countersink d screwed upon the top of the drill stock b
below the tang e, which fits into the drilling machine, for the purpose of
rimering the holes after they are drilled, and then countersinking the same
without removing the plate under operation. This rimer countersink may be
applied to a separate stock or block to rimer and countersink the other side of
the plate, and thus make all the holes of one uniform size, and give also a
perfect bearing for the tube when expanded.
Sheet D represents my chambering drill, which is intended to be used for
the purpose of chambering the tube plates of boilers and other vessels requiring
tubes to be fixed therein. It consists of a drill stock (a) and a pinion (6)
inside thereof, an internal worm screw (c) within a hand wheel (d). Now,
when the drill stock (a) revolves around its own axis, while the hand wheel (d)
and worm screw (c) within the same are held stationary, the pinion (6) revolves
with the drill stock (a) and around its own axis also.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the drilling tool complete, as it appears when in
work; Fig. is a vertical section through the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal
section of the worm wheel (c); Fig. 4 represents an clevation, and Fig. 5 a
vertical section, of the bare drill stock (a); the former exhibiting the guide pin
socket () and recess for the pinion, the latter the recess to receive both the
pinion and the feed screw.
Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively top and under side views of the eccentric
swivel head or cutter holder (g) and head (m) of the feed screw (h).
Figs. 8 and 9 are elevation and section of the entire apparatus for feeding

page_text: and holding the cutter, and Fig. 10 is the guide pin belonging thereto to set
the same.
Figs. 11 and 12 are elevation and horizontal section of the drill block (e);
and Figs. 13 and 14 are enlarged views of the pinion b.
In describing the parts separately, a is the drill block, which is made fast to
any ordinary drilling machine by the part or tang marked a'; b, the pinion,
tapped to receive the feed screw (h); c an internal worm screw, into which
the pinion (b) is geared, and from which, when held stationary while the drill
stock (a) is revolving, it obtains rotary motion, and thereby communicates a
lateral one to the feed screw (h); d, the hand wheel, for the purpose of holding
the worm screw (c) stationary; e, the changeable drill block, which is varied
to correspond with the size of the hole required to be chambered; f, the cutter
bar; and 9, the eccentric swivel head or holder, in which it is held fast; h, the
feed screw; i, the screw nut, which holds fast the drill block (e) to the drill
stock (a);, the set screw, which holds fast the cutter bar (f) in the swivel
head (g); k, the guide pin; and 7, its socket, to bring the whole cutter holder
into proper position, and to keep it there; m, the head of the feed screw,
with the nut inside thereof, screwed to the swivel head (g); n, the index
set screw, which holds in position the swivel head (g), in reference to the
head (m).
In order to operate, the drill block e is placed upon the bottom of the drill
stock a, and made fast to it by means of the screw nut i, which is below it;
this drill block being the only changeable part, as the rest are supposed to be
always intact. The pinion 6 being tapped, receives the feed screw h, which
passes through it and carries the cutter bar f, made fast by means of the set
screw to the eccentric swivel head or holder g, on the head m thereof; and
as the pinion revolves, the cutter bar f is fed into the metal as it is cut away
in the formation of the chamber. The cutter bar f is instantly freed by the
slackening of the set screw j, which holds it, and if the guide pin k be
removed from its socket I, and the feed screw h has a few backward turns
given to it, that is also set at liberty. Both of these operations are required
to be performed whenever the chambering is completed, the withdrawal of the
cutter bar being indispensible before the drill block can be released from
the tube plate, and that of the guide pin k before the feed screw can be
turned previous to the resetting.
In preparing to chamber another hole, the feed screw h must be set to a
gage, fitting in between the head m of the feed screw h and the pin socket 1,
which is on the drill stock a, when the guide pin k being inserted therein, the
swivel head g and drill block e are in correct position for the cutter bar f to

page_text: pass through both of them, and the cutter must be made fast to the swivel
head g by means of the set screw j when it touches the side of the hole to be
chambered.
The drilling machine being now put in motion, the hand wheel d is to be
held fast (and of course the worm screw c attached to it) until the space
gauged between the swivel head m and the pin socket is closed up, indi-
cating that the chambering is completed, when the set screw j is again to be
slackened and the cutter bar f and guide pin k removed, as before.
The eccentric swivel head g has a screw nut on the lower end of it within
the head m, which prevents their separation, although the former is free to
revolve, except when held fast by the index set screw 22. This index set screw n
is for the purpose of fixing the swivel head g, by means of the wing g' thereof,
in which it is placed, so that the slotted hole in that wing (9) may come oppo-
site to the holes upon the head m, according to the Figures 2", 21", 21", 31,
and 3, indicating the diameters of the holes to be chambered, and the hole
into which the guide pin & must be put previous to entering its socket 7. The
drill block e must also correspond, when it will be found that the cutter bar f
will slip into its proper position easily if properly fitted, and into no other, if
the face of the cutter is made rather wider than the back thereof.
The swivel bead g is eccentric only in regard to the feed screw h and head
m; but concentric with the eccentric hole, which allows the cutter barf to pass
freely through them both. The swivelling of the cutter bar f, through the
medium of the swivel head g, is only necessary when one tool is required to
chamber around more than one size of hole; thus, the guide pink regulates the
amount of eccentricity of the cutter bar f, while the index screw brings it to
its proper position, so that the cutting edge points conically to the axis of the
drill block. a. The greatest amount of eccentricity is required for the largest
holes, to give the proper angles of relief and escape to the cutting edge of the
tool, which only should be ground upon the former side or angle. The axis of
the feed screw / does not pass through the axis of the drill block a, because
that would cause the pinion 6 to gear into both sides of the worm screw c; it
is therefore placed sufficiently eccentric thereto to gear into one side only, and
leave a sufficiency of metal below the recess b', Figs. 4 and 5, in the drill
stock a. In Figs. 11 and 12, f' shows where the cutter bar (f) passes
through the drill block (e); and e', Fig. 11, the throat, to allow the cuttings to
drop through.
The next and last tool which I shall describe is my treble expander, which
is fully shown on (Sheet E), premising that this tool is intended to produce
the kind of expansion of tubes as shown on (Sheet B), so as to fasten the

page_text: tubes to the tube plates, as therein shown by treble expansion. I proceed to
describe the Figures on (Sheet E).
Fig. 1 is a side view of the expander; Figs. 2 and 3 are end views of the
same; Fig. 4 is a view with the mandril removed and part of the ring in
section; and Fig. 5 is a section through one side only of a tube just ready to
be expanded into the tube plate, showing one of the segments only and part of
the mandril and guide ring, with the guide pins screwed therein.
a is the
mandril, which is surrounded by the segments b, and when these are placed
within the tube (c) to be expanded, the mandril is driven in forcibly among
them, and causes the tube to be expanded and made fast within the tube plate
d. e is a spring, which surrounds the segments b, and causes them to press
upon the mandril a; while fare guide pins, which are screwed fast into the
guide ring g, for the purpose of keeping the segments (b) together & within
the guide ring g, as well as to guide them, so that as they expand they shall
be kept at about equal distances apart from each other.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
described, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention is retained; but
what I do claim is, the method of arranging, combining, producing, and
fixing,
Firstly, "hollow slabs" or closed chambers, by means of double welding.
Secondly, fastening tubes into tube plates, by treble expansion.
Thirdly, the improved four-cutter drill.
Fourthly, the improved chambering drill.
And, fifthly and lastly, the treble expander, all in the manner and for the
purpose as herein fully described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Prosser, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
THOMAS PROSSER, Jr.
THOMAS PROSSER. (L.S.)