IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Jolinson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Julius Pohlig, of Siegen,
in the Kingdom of Prussia, Civil Engineer.
ealed the 1st May 1877, and dated the 7th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th November 1876.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad
by Julius Poblig, of Siegen, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Civil Engineer.
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of steam boilers, whereby a
steam generator is obtained, which combines by utilizing the fuel in the best possible
manner the advantages of a single cylindrical steam boiler with those of a tubular
steam boiler.
In carrying out this Invention it is proposed to employ any suitable number of:
single cylindrical boilers arranged side by side, and made of sufficient diameter to
admit of a workman entering for the purposes of cleaning or repairs, or when the
latter facility is not required they may be made of less diameter, and some tubes
may be superposed.
Each boiler is formed of a single iron plate in order to obviate the seams being
exposed to the fire, and it is preferred to make the plate of the minimum thickness
admissible. The seam in the longitudinal direction of the boiler is covered by a
small strip or layer of brickwork or masonry. The boilers, which are placed at
right angles to the current of the arriving heating gases or flame, are surrounded
with brickwork or masonry arranged in such a manner that the heating gases
follow a spiral or circuitous course, whereby the exterior of the boilers is maintained.
continuously in contact with fresh heating gases, whilst the cool gases escape by the
chimney
According to one arrangement it is proposed to employ for the heating of the
boilers the gases escaping from a puddling furnace. The first boiler and the front
side of the second boiler are protected by masonry.

page_text: The boilers, with the exception of two steam drying or superheating cylinders or
collecting boilers situate at one extremity of the series of boilers, are each fitted at
one end or head with a feed pipe, whilst to the opposite end or head is applied a
branch pipe for conducting the steam from the boiler into a collecting pipe common
to the series. This collecting pipe conducts the steam generated first into one of
the collecting or superheating boilers, which is connected with the second super-
heating boiler by a tube. The boilers are inclined lengthwise for the purpose of
facilitating the escape of the steain.
In order to admit of the water level in the boilers being ascertained at any time
two of the boilers, which are arranged at a higher level than the others, are provided
with glass gauges. Each boiler is furnished on one side with a man-hole; in lieu
however of a rivetted plate with a man-hole therein a cast-iron cover, on which is
cast the connecting steam pipe, is employed. In order to enable ready access to be
obtained to this place openings are provided in the wall, which openings are pro-
tected so as to prevent loss of heat by means of isolated doors of sheet iron, the
isolation being effected by an imperfect conductor of heat, such for example as
silicated cotton wool. The steam pipe is also protected against cooling from the
exterior.
According to a modification of the preceding arrangement it is proposed to employ
a combination of transverse boilers, with, say, two ordinary tubular flued or Cornish
boilers placed in the ordinary direction. In this case the heating gases are first
conducted by preference in a direction parallel to the heating surfaces of the flued
boilers until the gases are sufficiently cool to obviate all liability of injury to the
sheet iron of the transverse boilers.
According to another modification the boilers are superposed, that is to say, two
or more series of boilers arranged in the manner herein-before described are placed
the one over the other, and they may also be so disposed that each succeeding boiler
of a series is situate on a lower level than its preceding neighbouring boiler. The
boilers may be heated by an ordinary grate placed at one end of the bottom series.
This arrangement of superposed boilers is employed when there is not sufficient
room to admit of their being placed in a line. In this case the lower boilers only
communicate directly with the feed pipe, whilst the upper boilers, filled partly with
water, receive their water together with the steam which has been generated in the
lower boilers through suitable connecting pipes. The junction or elbow pieces of
the feed pipe are ordinarily closed by covers, which may be brought into use when
a lower boiler is required to be changed, and there is not sufficient time to effect the
same immediately.
During the operation of changing a defective boiler the upper boiler is supplied
by a reserve pipe.
The boilers in this and the preceding arrangements are placed upon iron bars of
an shape, and form with the stays which are made of a T section or solid body.
Doors are provided for the facility of cleaning the surfaces of the boilers and the
fire-box or flues from the ashes and the soot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
May 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad
by Julius Poblig, of Siegen, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Civil Engineer.
The said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of steam boilers, whereby a
steam generator is obtained, which combines by utilizing the fuel in the best possible
manner the advantages of a single cylindrical steam boiler with those of a steam
boiler with tubes of a small diameter.

page_text: In carrying out the said Invention a suitable number of single cylindrical boilers
is employed arranged side by side, the said boilers being made of sufficient diameter
to admit of a workman entering for the purpose of cleaning or repairs.
The internal diameter of the boilers should not exceed, say, from 20 to 25 inches,
to avoid the necessity of using thick plates, that is to say, plates of a thickness
exceeding 1/4 inch, but when such increased facilities for cleaning or repairs are not
required the diameters of the boilers may be reduced. Two or more series of boilers
may also be arranged the one over the other.
Each boiler is formed of a single iron plate in order to obviate transverse seams
exposed to the fire. The seam in the longitudinal direction of the boiler is covered
by a small strip or layer of brickwork or masonry. The length of each boiler is
thus limited to the length of the rolls employed in the manufacture of the plates.
The boilers, which are placed at right angles to the current of the arriving heating
gases or flame, are surrounded with brickwork or masonry arranged in such a manner
that the heating gases follow a spiral or circuitous course, whereby the thin plates
of the boilers are maintained continuously in contact with fresh heating gas, so as
to absorb the greatest possible amount of caloric.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed two Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference indi-
cating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal
section taken along the line 1-2, Figure 4, of a combination of steam boilers
arranged according to the said Invention in its simplest form; Figure 2 is a trans-
verse section of the same taken along the line 3-4, Figure 1; Figure 3, a side
elevation; and Figure 4, a horizontal section taken along the line 5-6, Figure 1.
A, A1, A2, W, W¹, are the boilers, which in the present example are assumed to
be heated by the gases escaping from a puddling furnace, such gases being admitted
by the flue B. The first boiler A¹ and the front side of the second boiler A² are
protected by masonry at a (Figure 1).
The boilers, with the exception of two steam drying or superheating cylinders or
collecting boilers S and S¹ situate at one extremity of the series of boilers, are each
fitted at one end, and as near the bottom as possible, with a short flanged pipe U,
by which they are connected to a common feed pipe U₁, whilst at the opposite end
or head and as near the top as possible is applied a branch pipe V for conducting
the steam from the boiler into a collecting pipe x common to the series. This col-
lecting pipe conducts the steam generated first into the collecting or superheating
boiler S, which is connected with the second superheating boiler S¹ by a tube R.
The boilers are inclined lengthwise for the purpose of facilitating the escape of the
steam.
In order to admit of the water level in the boilers being ascertained at any time
the two boilers W, W₁, are provided with glass gauges. Each boiler is furnished at
one end with a man-hole and cover at Y; in lieu however of a rivetted plate, with
the man-hole therein, the arrangement shown in Sheet 2 of the Drawings may be
adopted, which consists in the employment of a cast-iron cover u, on which is cast
the connecting steam pipe v¹. In order to enable ready access to be obtained to this
place openings B, Figures 2 and 4, Sheet 1, are provided in the walls C, which
openings are protected so as to prevent loss of heat by means of insulated doors T of
sheet iron, the insulation being effected by an imperfect conductor of heat, such for
example as silicated cotton wool. The steam pipe x is also protected by an envelope
of similar material against cooling from the exterior.
Figure 5, Sheet 1, is a transverse section taken along the line 7-8 (Figure 6);
and Figure 6, a longitudinal section taken along the line 9-10, Figure 5, illus-
trating a modification of the preceding arrangement, in which a series of transverse
boilers is employed in combination with two ordinary boilers D placed in the
longitudinal direction. This arrangement is especially applicable when the boilers.
are made of very thin plate, or when they are heated by the fire of an ordinary

page_text: grate E. In this case the heating gases are first conducted by preference in a
direction parallel to the heating surfaces of the longitudinal boilers D until the
temperature of the gases is sufficiently reduced to obviate all liability of injury to
the plates of the transverse boilers A, A¹, A²
Figure 7 (Sheet 2) of the accompanying Drawings, represents a longitudinal
section taken along the line 11-12, (Figure 9) of a combination of boilers consisting
of two series arranged the one over the other; Figure 8 is a transverse section of
the same taken along the line 13-14, (Figure 9); Figure 9 is a horizontal section
taken along the line 15-16 (Figure 7); and Figures 10 and 11 are elevations of
opposite sides, the former view being partly in section.
The arrangement illustrated in 2 is adopted where there is not sufficient room
to admit of the whole of the boilers being placed in a line. In this case the
lower series of boilers A, A¹, only communicate directly with the feed pipe, whilst
the upper boilers A³, W, W₁, filled partly with water, receive their water, together
with the steam which has been generated in the lower boilers, through the pipes
D¹, D. The junction or elbow picces z, z, of the feed pipe U¹ are ordinarily closed
by covers, and are only used when a lower boiler is required to be changed, and it
is not possible to replace it immediately.
During the operation of changing a defective boiler the boiler above the one
which has been removed is supplied direct by the insertion of a reserve pipe y, z.
The circulation of the flame around each boiler is indicated by the arrows in
Figure 7.
The number of the boilers completely filled with water is calculated in such a manner
that the collective heating surface of the whole of them shall be more than 20 times
that of the grate surface, because there is then no danger of the other boilers which
are partly filled with steam becoming unduly heated.
The boilers in this and the preceding arrangement are supported upon cast-iron
shaped bearers E', which form a solid framework or support for the boilers inde-
pendent of the masonry or brickwork, thus facilitating the removal or exchange of
the boilers when required. The abutments for the arches F are formed by shaped
bearers F¹, for which however bearers of a A or other suitable section may be
substituted.
Doors are provided for the facility of cleaning the surfaces of the boilers and the
fire-box or flues from the ashes and the soot.
The improved boilers possess the following advantages
1. A large steam and water space, which is capable of being varied according to
the purposes to which the boilers are to be applied.
2. Obtaining the greatest possible effect from the fuel by employing very thin
plates and by the arrangement of the boilers, by which the heating gases do not
flow parallel with the length of the boilers, but are so directed as to cause fresh
heating gases to impinge continuously against the heating surfaces of the said
boilers.
3. The products of combustion acting on the surface of the steam collectors S and
S dry and superheat the steam, whereby its effect is considerably augmented.
4. In the event of the water falling below the proper level there is much less
danger of explosion than with boilers of other descriptions, as the water will first
fail in those cylinders which are so situate that the products of combustion are
comparatively cool before reaching them, so that there is little danger of the plates
becoming unduly heated. It is therefore preferable to adopt the arrangement repre-
sented in Sheet 1, that is to say, to arrange all the cylinders in a line one behind
the other.
5. Great durability of the boilers, together with simplicity in the construction.
6. The boilers can be as readily cleaned from the interior as from the exterior.
7 Repairs may be effected with facility and cheapness during the working, as
the work of changing a defective cylinder necessitates at the most an interruption
of a few hours.
8. The expense of setting is very moderate. A boiler constructed according to

page_text: this Invention is not more expensive than an ordinary generator or tubular boiler,
the heating surfaces being equal, whilst the effect produced by this boiler is much
greater owing to the improvement in the heating surface.
9. These boilers are adapted to any work, and for the use of all kinds of fuel by
suitably modifying the furnace.
10. Steam generators constructed according to this Invention may be enlarged by
the addition of more boilers when required without materially interfering with the
working; they also admit of various modifications and combinations to suit different
localities, both in respect of the boilers themselves and for their adaptation to other
constructions.
Having now described and particularly. ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the construction and arrangement of steam boilers, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described and as illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)