IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Heury Turner, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Strap Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou the 10th
December 1863.
I, HENRY TURNER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Strap Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in connecting the float in the boiler to the damper
in the flue leading to the chimney by means of a lever and a catch, or spring,
or other suitable connection. When the float descends in the boiler, owing
to the level of the water becoming too low, the lever is liberated, and the
damper is closed, thus checking the draught and consequently the intensity
of the fire. Or the lever may be made to liberate a door, which would pre-
vent the supply of more fuel. When the damper is thus closed a fresh
supply of water is pumped into the boiler, but if the level of the water still
continues to descend the float or other apparatus acting on a tap or valve
admits steam to the fire and quenches it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
TURNER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Strap Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Turner, Her special license that I, the said Henry Turner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Turner, 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 APPARATUS FOR
PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Turner, 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 Henry Taylor, 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in connecting the float in the boiler to the damper
in the flue leading to the chimney, by means of a lever and a catch or spring
or other suitable connection. When the float descends in the boiler owing to
the level of the water becoming too low, the lever is liberated and the damper
is suddenly closed, thus checking the draught and consequently the intensity
of the fire. When the damper is thus closed a fresh supply of water is pumped
into the boiler, but if fresh water is not supplied and the level still continues
to descend, the float above referred to or a second float acting on a tap or
valve admits steam and water to the fire and quenches it.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily

page_text: carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a boiler to which my improved
apparatus is applied; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; Figure 3 is
a section through the boiler shewing the improved apparatus on a larger
scale; Figures 4 and 5 are a section and plan of a wing valve forming part
of my improved apparatus; Figure 6 is a valve to be used in lieu of the
valve shewn in Figures 4 and 5, and Figure 7 is an improved safety
valve.
a is the outer casing or shell of the boiler; b, b, the two internals flues;
c, c, the grate bars; d the chimney; and e, the damper, which when down
closes the communication between the flues of the boiler and the chimney;
the damper is nearly counterbalanced in the usual manner by the weight,
the damper and weight being connected by the chain g, passing over the
catch pulley h; within the boiler is the float i, which I prefer to make with
blades, wings, or buckets, attached to a disc, so that the action of the water in
the boiler on the blades, wings, or buckets, may cause the float to rotate or
oscillate, and thus prevent the spindle j from sticking or becoming fast in the
stuffing box & through which it passes; as a further prevention against the
sticking of the spindlej, I apply above the stuffing box k the brush or lubri
cator 4, which acts on the spindle as it moves; the upper end of the spindle j
is connected to one end of the chain m passing around the pulley n, the other
end of the chain m is connected to the catch levero which takes hold of studs
projecting from the catch pulley h, and thus holds the damper e in its requisite
position. I prefer to place the lower part of the float i within three inches from
the top of the flues, and as soon as the level of the water lowers sufficiently to
allow the float i to descend, the chain m pulling at the lever o withdraws the
catch from the stud in the pulley h, and allows the damper e to descend
suddenly, thus closing the communication between the flues and the chimney,
stopping the draught and checking the intensity of the fire in the furnaces, the
damper will remain down until a fresh supply of water sufficient to raise the
float i to its former position has been pumped into the boiler, after which the
damper is raised by the attendant and again held up by the catch levere. If
instead of the damper e being raised by a fresh supply of water, the level of
the water should still continue to lower until the flues are only covered by
about an inch and a half of water, or at any other given time, the float; P then
comes into operation; this float p is connected to the end of the lever a fixed
to the spindle of the wing valve r, see Figures 4 and 5, or to the plug valve
shewn in Figure 6, this valve is made with two conical discs connected by a

page_text: P
plate. By turning the spindle of either of the valves shewn in Figures 4
and 5 or 6 the communication between the boiler and the pipes s is opened or
closed, these pipes convey the steam and water to the under side of the fire-
grates c; when the float p is lowered the valver admits the steam and water
to the pipes s, which steam and water escape through perforations in the
last pipes placed lengthways under the grate bars c and quenches or
extinguishes the fires, the range of the float p is limited by set shoulders on
the spindle of the float. The pipes are also in communication with the
ordinary safety valve t, which is weighted in the usual manner, or the duplex
safety valve shewn in Figure 7 may be substituted for the ordinary safety
valve by this means when the pressure in the boiler is too great the
valvet is lifted and the steam passes as before to the under side of the grate
bars c, or the steam from the safety valve may be conveyed direct to the under
side of the fire grates. The pipe w connected to the safety valve box is to
admit surplus or waste steam to the pipes s or to the pipes which convey the
steam direct from the safety valve to the under side of the grate bars c; this
steam assists the combustion of the fuel and prevents the slagg or clinkers
adhering to and burning the grate bars. I wish to remark that one or both of
the pipes s, see Figure 1, may be taken through an aperture in the bridge to
deliver steam to meet the flame from the grate c behind the bridge. A valve
must be placed in the pipes w to prevent. the high-pressure steam from the
safety valve passing into the pipes w. The whole apparatus is enclosed within
the cases u and v, which should be kept under lock and key to prevent any
tampering by the workmen.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the general combination and
arrangement of the parts shewn and described, or the combination of any two
or more of the parts, for preventing the explosion of steam boilers. I also
claim the lubricator and the catch lever o, or other equivalent, and the
valves shewn in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Turner, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventh day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
HENRY TURNER. (L.S.)