IMPROVE- MENTS IN TUBULAR BOILERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TUBULAR BOILERS."-A communication from abroad by Louis
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th March 1865.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBULAR BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The main features of this Invention are the form of the fire-box, and its
connection without any frame to the body of the boiler, and the arranging of
the tubes in such manner that a man can gain access to the interior of the
boiler both above and below the tubes to clean them, and the providing in
stationary boilers of a return flue outside the boilers, all as hereafter described.
The tubes are made to incline slightly upwards from the fire-box to encourage
the draught. The body of the boiler is of iron plate; the fire-box is in one'
piece of a curved form, and is composed by preference of steel; the shell over
the fire-box is united to it by strong bolts, while angle irons connect the front
plate to the shell and to the fire-box. The fire-box is entirely open at bottom,
as also the front of the body of the boiler; the lower ends of the sides of the

page_text: fire-box are rivetted and tied to the sides of the body; the ash-pit extends
forward just beyond the bridge, which is of fire-brick. Behind the bridge is
a compartment closed at bottom by a sliding plate, which can be drawn to
admit cinders and ashes into the ash-pit, and to admit air if desired;
the frame in which this plate moves rises in front of and at the lower part of
the bridge, and supports the back ends of the fire-bars. The back of the fire-
box forms the front tube plate, and between the lowest tubes and the bottom
of the boiler there is a water space. Between the outside of the sides of the
boiler and the masonry in which it is set there are flues for the return of the
products of combustion after passing along the tubes, and these flues open
into escape flues near the fore part of the boiler. The back end of the water
space under the tubes is closed by a stopper, which can be removed when required
to give access to the bottom of the boiler. A man hole in the steam chest
allows of access to the upper part of the boiler and tubes when needed.
The boiler has been described as stationary, and in order to transform it into
a movable boiler the masonry is dispensed with and a smoke box and chimney
are fitted behind the back tube plate. A door to allow of the tubes and boiler
being cleaned is fitted to the smoke box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that
I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 TUBULAR BOILERS" (com-

page_text: municated to me from abroad by Louis Felix Meunier, of Lille, France),
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The main features of this Invention are the form of the fire-box, its con-
nexion without any frame to the body of the boiler, the arranging of the
tubes in such manner that a man can gain access to the interior of the boiler
both above and below the tubes to clean them, and the providing in stationary
boilers of a return flue outside the boilers, all as hereafter described.
The tubes are made to incline slightly upwards from the fire-box to
encourage the draught.
The Invention will be fully understood by the accompanying Drawings and
the following description. Figure 1 is an elevation of the front end; Figure
2, a longitudinal section; and Figure 3, a transverse section through the line.
a, b, of Figure 2 of a tubular boiler constructed according to the present
improvements.
A is the body of the boiler, which is of iron plate; B is the fire-box, it is
in one piece, of a curved form, and is composed by preference of steel; the
shell over the fire-box is united to it by strong bolts G, while angle irons II
connect the front plate I to the shell and to the fire-box. The fire-box B is
entirely open at bottom, as also the front of the body of the boiler; the lower
end of the sides of the fire-box are rivetted and tied to the sides of the body.
C is the ash-pit extending forward just beyond the bridge D, which is of fire-
brick. Bebind the bridge is a compartment F, closed at bottom by a sliding plate,
which can be drawn to admit cinders and ashes into the ash-pit, and to admit
air if desired; the frame in which this plate moves rises in front of and at the
lower part of the bridge D, and supports the back ends of the fire-bars E.
The back I of the fire-box B forms the front plate of the tubes J, and between
the lowest tubes and the bottom of the boiler there is a water space. Between'
the outside of the sides of the boiler and the masonry P in which it is set

page_text: there are flues K for the return of the products of combustion after passing
along the tubes J, and these flues open into escape flues K' near the fore part
of the boiler. The back end of the water space under the tubes is closed by
a stopper L, which can be removed when required to give access to the bottom
of the boiler. A man hole in the steam chest M allows of access to the
upper part of the boiler and tubes when needed. N is a whistle for giving
alarm when the water level is too low; 0, 0, are safety valves; a, a, are guage
cocks; is a tube for indicating the water level; c, a manometer; and d,
the furnace door; e, e, are blow-off taps.
The boiler has been described as stationary, and in order to transform it
into a movable boiler the masonry is dispensed with and a smoke box and
chimney are fitted behind the back tube plate as represented in dotted lines in
Figure 2. A door to allow of the tubes and boiler being cleaned is fitted to
the smoke box.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing and
arranging tubular boilers substantially as herein-before described and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of September One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)