IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS AND FOR MAINTAINING FREE CIRCULATION BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER PARTS OF THE WATER IN BOILERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Thornton, of Cleckheaton, in the County of
York, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS AND FOR
MAINTAINING FREE CIRCULATION BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER PARTS OF
THE WATER IN BOILERS."
Sealed the 7th December 1866, and dated the 11th June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Thornton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
June 1866.
I, ALBERT THORNTON, of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE FEED WATER OF STEAM
BOILERS, AND FOR MAINTAINING FREE CIRCULATION BETWEEN THE UPPER AND
LOWER PARTS OF THE WATER IN BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to effect the heating of the feed water
and to insure a flow of water through the heated part of the channel for the
feed water, when by the stoppage of the engine the flow through the feed may
be suspended. For this purpose the feed water from the well or other reser-
voir is by the action of a pump or other means caused to flow through a pipe
or series of pipes or other channel or channels through the ash-pit and flue
space, by which it becomes heated before it reaches the boiler. A passage
having a tap or valve in it capable of being opened from the lower part of

page_text: these feed channels when the feed is stopped by the stopping of the engine or
otherwise will admit of a free circulation of the water in these pipes or
channels and between the upper and lower parts of the water in the boiler,
with a tendency to equalize the expansion of the parts of the boiler, and
thereby to prevent explosion from undue expansion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Albert Thornton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
THORNTON, of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Albert Thornton, Her special licence that I, the said Albert Thornton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Albert
Thornton, 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
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR
MAINTAINING FREE CIRCULATION BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER PARTS OF THE
WATER IN BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Albert Thornton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
únder my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Albert Thornton, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
.
The object of the improvements is to effect. the heating of the feed water

page_text: and to insure a flow of water through the heated part of the channel for the
feed water when by the stoppage of the engine the flow through the feed may
be suspended. For this purpose the feed water from the well or other
reservoir is by the action of a pump or other means caused to flow through a
pipe or series of pipes or other channel or channels, through the ash-pit and
flue space, by which it becomes heated before it reaches the boiler. A
passage having a tap or valve in it capable of being opened from the lower
part of these feed channels when the feed is stopped by the stopping of the
engine or otherwise, will admit of a free circulation of the water in these pipes
or channels and between the upper and lower parts of the water in the boiler,
with a tendency to equalize the expansion of the parts of the boiler, and
thereby to prevent explosion from undue expansion.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawing, proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a front view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section in outline
of a boiler of an ordinary character with my improvements applied to it.
a is the fire-place; b, the fire-bars; c, the bridge; d is the ash-pit; and
e, the flue space beyond the fire bridge c; f, is a pipe from the feed pump to
supply water from a well or other reservoir to the boiler, but in place of this
pipe entering direct into the boiler it is provided with a valve chamber with
a valve therein at f, to prevent the return of the water back by the pipe f.
From this valve chamber f¹ the supply pipe is continued by the channel f*
under the fire bars on one side of the ash-pit d, through the wall c¹ into the
flue space e, where it is formed into several coils f³, and thence returns by
the channel f under the fire-bars at the other side of the ash-pit, and then
at the front of the boiler it rises and opens into the boiler at f³. By this
arrangement of the feed water pipes the feed water becomes highly heated in
its passage to the boiler, and economy of fuel is thereby effected. f* is another
pipe, opening at one end into the pipe f, and at the other end into the lower
part of the boiler, as shown. This pipe ƒ is provided with a tap or valve f',
by which the passage through it may be closed, when the feed pump is in
operation; but when the feed pump or feed of water is stopped by opening
the tap or valve f' so as to admit of a passage through the pipe fa circulation.
of water will take place between the lower and upper part of the boiler
through the pipes ffff, so as to prevent any injury from the heat to
those feed water pipes. 9, 9, are brackets for the purpose of keeping the

page_text: pipes in their proper relative positions; h, h, are rollers, which support
the tubes, but at the same time allow of their expansion and contraction.
Having thus described my improvements and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may be
varied; but what I claim is the method of heating the feed water of steam
boilers and for maintaining free circulation between the upper and lower parts
of the water in boilers, in manner substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Thornton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ALBERT THORNTON. (L.S.)