Improvements in or connected with Steam Generators and Furnaces therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam Generators and Furnaces
therefor.
I, PETER MCGREGOR, Junior of 18 Radnor Place, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention there is provided certain means or mode by which
the circulation of water about or near the furnaces of steam generators may be
more vigorous and effective, or that the circulation of the water near or about the
bottom of the generator may, by this invention connected with the furnaces, be
rendered more vigorous and effective; and also, the means according to this
invention, are if so desired-arranged and adapted to apply to the furnaces, and
in such a manner as to strengthen them; or conversely, that they may be made of
thinner material than that employed in the ordinary furnaces: thus effecting two
purposes, a better circulation and augment of strength or diminution of the
thickness of the furnace metal.
The types of furnaces to which my invention is applicable are various but for
convenience I will assume in this description, that application is made in respect of
circular furnaces, and say of steam generators used in the Merchant Marine and the
Royal Navy.
I will first describe the invention as combining strengthening and circulating
qualities: In the interior of the furnace I provide hollow rings or portions of
rings, having preferably one flat side, the other being semi-cylindrical, the flat side
being arranged to lie on and be connected to the inside surface of the furnace.
In the flat side of the rings and in the furnaces at corresponding points where
this ring comes, I form apertures, one or more being at the bottom and one or more
at the top, and at these points the rings are secured to the furnaces by screwed
nipples or connecting pipes or by rivetting arranged round such apertures or by
equivalent means.
If whole rings are employed, they may be pressed into place by hydraulic pressure,
or shrunk into place by heating and cooling the parts or eithor of them; but if on
the other hand the rings be split, that is, not whole rings, then they may be brought
up to the surface of the furnace by expanding them by a wedge device forced in by
screwing it up to the furnace. In the latter case the wedge device and portion of
the ring would be arranged at the bottom of the furnace, to be out of contact with
the flame; and this also refers to cases where I may use rings partly hollow and
partly solid; that is the solid part is arranged at the bottom of the furnace.
These rings when applied to the "Purves" type of furnace, may have their flät
sides adapted to bear on the surface of the furnace between two of the annular
recesses; or each of these spaces, to which a ring is to be applied, may be made
larger than the rest of the ring arranged in it. If the furnace is made of two or more
barrel shaped portions the rings may be applied to that part where the furnace is of
the least diameter, and constructed at that point to receive the flat side of the ring.
In corrugated furnaces the points at which the rings are to be applied, the furnace
metal is preferably made plain, so as to form a seat for them; or the rings may be
made of such a form to suit and be applied to the corrugations.
The furnaces may be also constructed with annular channels or enlargements to
receive the rings, or in any suitable way adapted or modified to have the rings applied
to them, whether of plain, parallel cylindrical or tapered form, or of any irregular,
bent, corrugated form or otherwise.

page_text: .
The invention as applied to furnaces for water circulation, only consists of a sheet
or plate secured to the outside surface of the furnace, forming a channel or passage,
and carried round it, partially or wholly; if only partially carried round, its ends at
the bottom are open for the inlet of water, and it may have open ends at the top for
the outlet of same; or it may be provided with apertures as set forth with reference
to the ring above described for the ingress and egress of water.
If the furnace of a generator has an uneven surface longitudinally (as the corrugated
kind of furnace known as Foxe's or Purvis, or other types) the plate may be attached
to the tops of the corrugations or projections, and they may also be made, curved or
bent, in such a manner, as to provide a large area for the flow of water.
In the case of side or wing furnaces (or in other cases if desired) the interior of the
rings or channels may be put in communication with the bottom or other part of the
steam generator by a pipe or pipes, and thereby cause the water to be moved or
circulated from any point where desired.
The action in all forms of this invention so far as circulation is concerned, is that
water within the rings or channels is heated and rises to the top, escaping by the top
apertures therein and thereby causing water not so warm to enter through the
apertures or pipes in or near the bottom. The circulation of the water is thus to a
considerable extent (and especially at the bottom of the generator below the furnaces)
actually controlled and forced.
The rings and channel circulating plates may have manhole or other doors provided
in them so that access may be had to their interior for cleaning or other purposes.
Dated this 21st day of March 1889.
PETER MCGREGOR, JUNIOR.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam Generators and Furnaces
therefor.
I, PETER MCGREGOR, Junior, of 18, Radnor Place, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to be as
follows:-
According to this Invention there is provided a certain means or mode by which
the circulation of the water about or near the furnaces of steam generators may be
more vigorous and effective, or that the circulation of the water near or about the
bottom of the generator may by this invention, connected with the furnaces, be
rendered more vigorous and effective; and also, the means according to this inven-
tion, are if so desired-arranged and adapted to apply to the furnaces, and in such a
manner as to strengthen them; or conversely, that they may be made of thinner
material than that employed in the ordinary furnaces: thus effecting two purposes,-
a better circulation, and augmentation of strength or diminution of the thickness of
the furnace metal.
The types of furnaces to which my invention is applicable are various, but for
convenience I will assume in this description, that application is made in respect of
circular furnaces, and say of steam generators used in the Merchant Marine and the
Navy.
I will first describe the Invention as combining strengthening and circulating
qualities In the interior of the furnace I provide hollow rings or portions of
rings, having preferably one flat side, the other being semi-cylindrical, the flat
side being arranged to lie on and be connected to the inside surface of the
furnace.
In the flat side of the rings and in the furnaces at corresponding points, namely,
where a ring comes, I form apertures, one or more being at the botton and one

page_text: or more at the top, and at these points the rings are secured to the furnaces by
screwed nipples or connecting pipes, or by rivetting arranged round such apertures,
or by equivalent means.
If whole rings are employed, they may be pressed into place by hydraulic pressure,
or shrunk into place by heating and cooling the parts, or either of them; but if, on
the other hand, the rings be split, that is, not whole rings, then they may be brought
up to the surface of the furnace by expanding them by a wedge device forced in by
screwing it up to the furnace. In the latter case the wedge device and portion of
the ring would be arranged at the bottom of the furnace, to be out of contact with the
flame, and this also refers to cases where I may use rings partly hollow and partly
solid; that is, the solid part is arranged at the bottom of the furnace.
These rings when applied to the "Purves" type of furnace, may have their flat
sides adapted to bear on the surface of the furnace between two of the annular recesses';
or each of these spaces, to which a ring is to be applied may be made larger
If the furnace is made of two or more
than the rest of the ring arranged in it.
barrel shaped portions, the rings may be applied to that part where the furnace
is of the least diameter, and constructed at that point to receive the flat side of the
ring.
In corrugated furnaces at the points at which the rings are to be applied, the
furnace metal is preferably made plain, so as to form a seat for them; or the rings
may be made of such a form to suit and be applied to the corrugations.
The furnaces may be also constructed with annular channels or enlargements to
receive the rings, or in any suitable way adapted or modified to have the rings applied
to them, whether of plain, parallel, cylindrical or tapered form, or of any irregular,
bent or corrugated form or otherwise.
The Invention as applied to furnaces for water circulation, only, consists of a sheet
or plate secured to the outside surface of the furnace, forming a channel or passage,
and carried round it, its ends at the bottom are open for the inlet of water and it may
be provided with apertures, as set forth with reference to the ring above described for
the ingress and egress of water.
""
If the furnace of the generator has an uneven surface longitudinally (as the
"Fox's" or "Purves',' or other types) the
corrugated kind of furnace known as
plate may be attached to the tops of the corrugations or projections, and they may also
be made curved or bent, in such a manner as to provide a large area for the flow of
water.
In the case of side or wing furnaces, (or in other cases if desired) the interior of
the rings or channels may be put in communication with the bottom or other part
of the steam generator, by a pipe or pipes, and thereby cause the water to be moved
or circulated from any point where desired.
The action in all forms of this Invention, so far as circulation is concerned, is, that
water within the rings or channels is heated, and rises to the top, escaping by the top
apertures therein, and thereby causing water not so warm to enter through the
apertures or pipes in or near the bottom. The circulation of the water is thus, to a
considerable extent (and especially at the bottom of the generator, below the furnaces),
5 actually controlled and forced.
The rings or channel circulating pipes may have manhole or other doors provided
in them, so that access may be had to their interior, for cleaning or other
purposes.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate my Invention, by the aid of which I
O will now more fully explain it, I show several modifications; it is to be understood,
however, that these various modifications merely constitute so many examples of the
application of the Invention, and that therefore it is not strictly confined or limited to
them; but the novel features of the Invention are stated in the claiming clauses
concluding the specification.
5
In the following description the same letters and figures of reference are used to
denote the same or corresponding parts wherever they occur.
In combination with the furnace of a steam generator, one or more of the hollow

page_text: rings or plates, either inside or outside, or both inside and outside, are employed. In
the Drawings, the furnaces are designated a, and the rings or plates ; the rings are
secured to the furnace by rivets or bolts, or by any other suitable means, and are
provided with inlet and outlet apertures c, c².
Figures 1 and 14 show the Invention as applied to a plain circular furnace, in
elevation and cross section, respectively; in this case the metal of the ring is secured
to the furnace by hollow nipples d, which constitute the inlet and outlet passages c
and c¹, respectively. There are three inlet passages c, and one outlet c'.
Figure 2 shews the rings applied to a furnace having two bulged out portions, the
part where the flat outer side of the ring comes being also flat, to make a suitable
support.
Figures 3 and 34 shew, in end sectional elevation and cross section, respectively, a
ring constructed partly of hollow formation and partly of solid formation, the latter
part being designated b¹.
In
Figures 4 and 44 show the ring applied to a furnace having annular recesses.
this case a solid separate piece b', having tapered ends, is used, in connection with the
ring, and the ends of the ring are made to correspond. By tightening the bolts b²,
the wedge shaped solid portion will press the ring outwards, and make it tight
against the surface of the furnace.
as
Figure 5 shows the ring applied to an externally ribbed furnace of the type known
Purves" and,
16
Figures 6 and 64 shew, in sectional elevation and cross-section, respectively, a
furnace provided with an internal ring, and also two forms of external ones.
furnace is a corrugated one.
This
The external rings, which may be used alone if desired,
that is, without internal ones, as herein before fully explained, are bolied or rivetted
to the furnace, and are provided with inlet or outlet passages c and c', the same as in
the internal rings.
Regarding the strengthening properties, it will be obvious that a furnace provided
with an internal ring b, constructed and arranged as described and shewn, would be
immensely strengthened, i.e., in the direction of the prevention of collapsing: and
also, this would be the case if the outer ring were used, but not quite so effectively:
but the outer ring may be used in cases when the extra water circulating qualities are
required, and not so much the extra strength.
As previously stated when outer rings & are employed as described, they may be
made of comparatively thin material, and so not adapted to serve at all as means of
giving additional strength to the furnace, but solely to act as means for increasing
the circulation of the water in steam generators.
In Figures 6 and 64 I shew two forms of external ring the one on the right
hand side consists of a flat plate laid upon the edge of the corrugations, shewn in
full lines or it may be arched as shewn in dotted lines, whilst the outer ring on the
left hand side consists of an inverted channel. It is to be understood these outer
rings may be applied to any types of steam generator furnaces.
i.
The rings may be made of wrought iron or steel, and fixed in position, if desired,
by hydraulic pressure, when the nature of the construction of both ring and furnace
permit it.
The action of the rings as regards effecting an increased circulation is, that the
water in the ring, being heated by the gases of combustion in the furnace, rises
rapidly, and thereby causes fresh and cooler water to enter it through the
apertures in the lower part of it, the hot water escaping by the upper apertures
or aperture
It is to be understood one or any number of rings, as desirable, may be used in a
furnace, and arranged and disposed in any suitable place or manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination with a furnace of a steam generator, of a hollow ring or rings,

page_text: placed within or outside the furnace, and arranged with one of its or their surfaces
bearing upon same, substantially as described.
2. A ring for furnaces of steam generators of semi-circular or analogous form in
cross section, the flat surface being, on the outside, adapted to bear upon the inner
surface of the furnace, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a circular furnace of a steam generator, of a ring or
rings b, placed within or outside the furnace, as described, and connected thereto, and
having apertures c and c¹ therein, by which the water is free to pass in at or near the
lower part thereof, and leave at or near the top; substantially as and for the purposes
described and shewn in the Drawings.
4. The furnace a with internal rings b, arranged and constructed as set forth with
reference to the drawings.
5. The furnace a and outside rings 6 arranged and constructed as set forth with
reference to the drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of December 1889.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Agents for the Applicant.