Improvements in Steam Boilers.
Year: 1889

page_text: *Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th June, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Boilers.
I, HENRY BIRKETT BUCKLAND Hamburg Chambers Newcastle Tyne Consulting
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A
My invention relates to steam boilers of the spherical form as follows-The shell is
made in the form of a sphere, a sufficient part of which is left off and a plate of a
concave form, dished to a part of a sphere is fastened to the lower part of the shell,
to this plate which forms the furnace top, is fixed 1, 2, 3 or more combustion chambers
as may be required, the tube plates of the comb chambers are dished to a part of a
sphere radiused from the centre of the boiler, so that any required No. of small tubes
can be led as radii from the chambers to the shell, to convey the particles of combustion
to the funnel, thro a suitable smokebox round the shell, to which is attached the
funnel the backs of the comb chambers are made in a semi or partial cylindrical
form to resist the required pressure. I can also lead from the above concave furnace
top plate a number of suitable sized tubes conveying part of the flames &c. into
the smokebox which latter can be made in 2 divisions, an upper & a lower, so that
the flames, gases, &c. that come thro these tubes into the lower smokebox, may return
into the combustion chambers through the lower rows of tubes, thus mixing with
the flames &c. rising from the fire into the combustion chamber direct, & then through
the upper portion of tubes into the upper smokebox & so out to the funnel.
number of the lower small tubes can be so encased as to admit air into the com-
bustion chambers. The combustion chambers can be made in one of a spherical form
attached to the furnace top plate, with the tubes as above described but with an
inverted parallel or conical water box fastened to the top of the combustion chamber
in a suitable manner & with a bottom plate of any suitable form, from the lower end
of this inverted box any No. of tubes are fixed leading to the lower part of the
combustion chamber tube plate so as to increase the heating surface & circulation of
the water. The furnace is composed of an inner & outer shell of a cylindrical form
suitably fastened together & forms a feed heater for the feed water which comes in
from the engines or pumps at one side & leaves at the other for the boiler to which
the furnace is attached with all necessary pipes & valves &c. or the furnace can be
made in a square form thus making the fire grate either square or round as thought
fit. This furnace is well adapted for burning petroleum or any other liquid fuel
as well as coals & wood & also for forced draft either under the bars, and, or through
the lower above mentioned tubes into the combustion chamber as above described
with all necessary valves &c. for the admission & controlling the air supply. If
necessary a dome of a spherical or cylindrical form may be suitably attached to the
shell to increase the steam capacity.
Thus it will be seen that in a spherical boiler of the above description I can get a
large amount of heating surface & that of a much better efficiency, the tubes being
short, & by the arrangement of the of the flow of the gases, the admission of air and by
the heating of the feed water before going into the boiler proper, I will obtain a much
better consumption of fuel; and by the spherical form of several of the parts I can
put in much lighter plates to withstand the high pressures, consequently greatly
reducing the weight & by the increased consumption of gases &c. the waste & volume
of smoke emitted from the funnel will be greatly reduced. It is thoroughly adapted
for land or sea, main or donkey boilers. To be named "The Stanley Boiler.'
Dated this 5th day of September 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Boilers.
I, HENRY BIRKETT BUCKLAND of Hamburg Chambers, Newcastle-on-Tyne,.
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in steam generators of a spherical form for
use on land or sea and for various other purposes, the object of my invention being,
amongst other things, to get a large amount of effective heating surface by employing
short tubes, to be able to use lighter plates and obviate the need of staying by the large
use of spherical surfaces, and to economise the fuel and prevent smoke by employing
an effective feedwater heater and arranging the flow of gases and admission of air in
a peculiar manner as hereinafter set forth.
The shell is made in the form of a sphere truncated at the bottom, the open portion
being closed by a plate dished spherically or otherwise. This plate forms the furnace
crown and supports a spherical or partly spherical combustion chamber concentric
with the shell. The heating surface of said combustion chamber may be increased by
dividing it into two three or more portions (forming separate chambers) by means of
vertical or other water spaces or by suspending in the said chamber one or more water
pots or tubes closed at the bottom and open at the top to the water space and either
with or without circulating tubes connecting the lower part of said water pots or tubes
with the said water spaces. The back of the combustion chambers are made in a
curved or partially cylindrical form to resist pressure. From the combustion chambers
radiate a number of small tubes passing through the water space between chamber and
shell to lead the products of combustion to the smokebox which surrounds the boiler,
such tubes being arranged in nests according to the number of combustion chambers,
space being left between such nests to allow ready access for cleaning etc.
The gases
may pass through smoke chamber direct to funnel, but in some cases I employ
additional tubes preferably of larger diameter leading the gases from furnace crown
to smokebox through the lower portion of water space, and I shut off by a partition
the lower portion of smokebox so that the gases passing through said larger tubes
may be led back to combustion chamber by the lower small tubes, opening below said
partition to mix with the fresh gases in combustion chamber, the products passing.
by the upper series of small tubes into the upper smokebox and thence to the
funnel.
The furnace is composed of an inner and outer shell of a vertical cylindrical form
suitably fastened together and forms a feed heater for the feed water which comes in
from the engine or pumps at one side and passes at the other to the boiler to which
the furnace is attached by all necessary pipes, valves etc. or, the furnace may be made
in a square form so that the firegrate may be either square or round as thought fit.
If desirable the water space round furnace might forin part of the boiler and be
suitably connected thereto. The furnace may be adapted for the burning of petro-
leum or any other liquid fuel as well as coals and wood, also for forced draught
either under the bars or through the lower above mentioned tubes or both into the
combustion chamber. If necessary a steam receiver of a suitable shape may be
attached to the top of the shell to increase the steam capacity.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown the manner in which I preferably carry
out my invention, the different views showing various modifications which have
suggested themselves and in which like or corresponding parts are denoted by similar
letters of reference.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through C. D. (Fig. 2) and Fig. 2 a plan mostly in
section through A. B (Fig. 1), of one form in which I construct the boiler of my
invention. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, show modifications of parts of the same to be
hereinafter more fully referred to.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a is the spherical shell truncated at the bottom and secured to the

page_text: furnace crown c which is flanged to suit the three combustion chambers b. The tube
plates h of these chambers form portions of a sphere concentric with the shell and
the back plates i are curved in a suitable manner as shown to withstand the pressure..
The radial smoke tubes ; open into smokeboxes n and o, and k are the extra tubes.
Part of the gases pass along k into o and from thence through the tubes into
chambers 6 as previously mentioned. The lowest tubes are shown adapted to supply
air to the chambers for secondary combustion. The chimney is shown at m and the
receiver at d. The furnace is surrounded by a separate circular water chamber of
which are the sides and g the ends. The firegrate is shown at e.
Fig. 5 shows the furnace jacket constructed in one piece with the boiler and forming
a portion thereof. In this view the combustion chamber, tubes etc. have been omitted,
but will be arranged as previously described.
Figs. 1 and 2 show the boiler fitted with three combustion chambers, but Figs. 6.
and 7 show modifications in outline with two and four chambers respectively.
Figs. 8 and 9 show in outline a sectional plan and elevation of a boiler with one
combustion chamber fitted with a water pot and circulating tubes as previously
mentioned and similar to those employed in the vertical boiler for which a Patent was.
granted to me A.D. 1887 and numbered 17717.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement and construction of a steam boiler consisting of a truncated
spherical shell in combination with a dished bottom plate and a truncated spherical
combustion chamber either in one piece with or without water pot and tubes, or divided
into two or more separate chambers with curved back plates and suitable tubes
arranged substantially as shown and described.
2. In a spherical boiler such as described above, the application and arrangement of
special tubes leading a portion of the gases from furnace to a secondary smokebox
from whence they are conducted to combustion chambers through some of the radial
tubes to mix with the fresh gases.
3. In a spherical boiler such as described above, the arrangement of admitting air
for secondary combustion to the chambers, by means of tubes (Fig. 1) substantially
as described and illustrated.
4. The different construction and arrangements of the water casing surrounding the
furnace and constructed separate from the boiler so as to be easily renewable being
connected therewith by suitable pipes to form a feed-water heater or a portion of the
boiler substantially as shown and for the purposes described.
5. The construction and combination of parts forming the spherical boiler and
furnace shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
1
T 1000
H. B. BUCKLAND.