Improvements in Water-tube Boilers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water-tube Boilers.
I, ANTON HOLECEK, Chief Engineer and Professor at the Royal and Imperial
Bohemian Technical Institute of Brunn in the Austrian Empire 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 :-
The water-tube boiler constituting this Invention is characterised by the employ-
ment of easily removable wrought iron heating tubes and by the forced water,
circulation effected in these heating tubes and it consists of a steam generator, a
cylindrical upper drum and a flame deflector on the Tenbrink system with or without
the employment of a heater which lies directly under the cylindrical upper drum.
The steam boiler of the present invention is also characterised by the fact that the
course traversed by the water and steam is exposed to the furnace gases, and so a
counter, stream boiler is produced.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention figure 1 is a
longitudinal section of the water tube boiler according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the water-tube boiler in the direction of the
line 1-1 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section showing the details of the pipe connections.
Figure 4 the same in cross section and
Figure 5 in ground plan.
.:
The main part of the new boiler forms a steam generator A which is made of.
welded heating tubes. In the main each heating tube forms a branched tube as in,
Figure 3. These branched tubes are formed either from a tube n n¹ bent at the
middle and ends or from a tube m, m' bent at the middle only (see Figures 1 and 3).
to which at both ends knee pieces k k¹ are screwed on, or the branched tubes are
formed from two pipes 1, 1, which are bent at hand at the ends where they meet,
are screwed together by a double knee piece i (see Figure 1) further the branched
tubes can be formed from two straight tubes g' Figure 1 which are provided with a...
double knee piece i and carry at both ends simple knee pieces k k¹. The knee,
pieces k k and double knee pieces i which are screwed on, are made of malleable cast.
iron.
Each leg of each beating tube is a little inclined towards the other in such manner
that the steam can rise unhindered from beneath upwards. The end pieces k¹ of
each branch tube are turned or cut concave or convex to form a conical or cylindrical
surface. Several of such branch tubes are placed beside and above one another in
horizontal vertical or oblique rows in linos corresponding to the connecting pipes v.
The cylindrical seat surfaces Figures 3-5 are made tight by asbestos rings h² but
with the conical or ball jointed forms there is no rubber or asbestos ring so that in
the connection metal bears on metal.
The fastening and pressing close of the ends k k¹ and h.¹ and the connecting.
pipes vis effected by means of screws p and o. The female screws are made to wind.
right and left as also both the screw bolts. The latter have a T-shaped head o
(Figures 3 and 4) which is placed in a corresponding chamber in the knee pieces,
and the pressure surfaces of which stand somewhat obliquely so that the screws
cannot escape from the corresponding T slots, or the screws for pressing together are
furnished at their ends with rings g (Figure 3 below and Figure 4 right) which rings
enclose the bent ends h h of the branched tubes n n¹. By a corresponding turn of
the nuts by means of a wrench or key each branched tube is pressed to the upper,
and lower connecting tube.
Any leakage in the seat surfaces which may show when work is. set agoing can
easily be put right during work by tightening the nuts correspondingly. The

page_text: branched tubes n n', m; m² 1 lg g' discharge into the connecting pipes v. Each
connecting pipe is made from a double T-shaped pipe or from two or more double
T-pieces cast together, which are screwed fast together by means of a screw a
(compare Figures 4 and 5).
In Figure 2 the case is presented where several of such connecting pipes are cast
in one piece. They can also be formed of welded tubes of equal diameter screwed
together. The lowest of these connecting tubes serves as a distributing tuber and
the uppermost as collecting pipe s. The connecting and collecting tubes are made of
sufficient diameter and corresponding strength.
By the arrangement of the connecting tubes the heating surface can be increased.
The vertical pipes lying right and left formed by the side pieces of the connecting
pipes serve as down pipes b b and attain a forced water circulation. The middle
pipe c adopted with larger boilers (Figure 2) serve for partial drainage of the rising
steam.
The ascending pipe d for the steam and the water carried with it joins the collecting
pipe s above and leads into the upper drum B.
The cylindrical upper drum B is only half filled with water lies above the steam
generator A and serves as steam and water container.
For this purpose its size is regulated according to the necessary proportions as well
as according to whether a greater or less quantity of steam is to be drawn off and it
is somewhat inclined downwards towards the rear and has in front the cut-off
ascending pipe for the steam.
e is a pipe provided with a slit on its upper end acting as a water separator which
joins eccentrically to a cylindrical pan f. The cylindrical drum B carries the sludge
catcher which is formed of two parallel sheet metal walls g² g³. These sheet metal
walls reach from the back sole of the upper drum B to the ascending pipe d, are cut
out a little above at the back end of the upper drum B at t so that they bring about a
water communication between then, and there are between these one or more
plates formed like a trough. The upper drum B is connected with the under-
most part of the steam generator A by the down pipes b¹ which discharge into the
dividing pipe.
Directly under the steam generator lies the furnace which in the accompanying
drawing is represented as a Tenbrinck-furnace with flame deflector.
The flame deflector consists either of fire-proof brick or is formed by a sheet metal
cylinder or cone for such cases where the steam is drawn off very irregularly, or it is
made of just such branched pipes as the steam generator itself consists of as is shown
in Figures 1 and 2. This flame deflector C is in direct connection with the steam
generator the distributing pipe r of the steam generator A joining the distributing
pipe of the flame deflector, which lies at an inclination of under 45° and leading
the feed water to the flame deflector C so that it flows from the down pipe 6 6' partly
into the steam generator and partly to the flame deflector. The distributing pipe
and the collecting pipe s' are connected underneath by a sludge box w which is pro-
vided with a tap to let off the sludge. The boiler may be completed by a heater D
for the cold feed water, which is between the upper boiler B and the steam generator A
and consists of similar branched pipes to these of the steam generator and flame
deflector. To let the air and steam escape quickly from the feed heater D it is placed
somewhat slantingly parallel to the upper boiler B. The heating gases are drawn
from the Tenbrinck furnace through the passages indicated by the arrows, and
which are divided by cast iron plates, and leave the feed heater where the cold feed
water is led in. As the heating gases gradually cool on their way, the present boiler
works as a counter stream boiler.
The boiler described above can be heated to a degree corresponding to a pressure of
10 or more atmospheres and possesses in consequence of being made of welded wrought
iron pipes of equal diameter great resistance and the greatest possible security against
danger of explosion. In feeding the cold feed water enters into the distributing pipe *²
of the feed heater Figure 1 flows in a sinuous course through all the heating tubes
meeting the escaping heating gases. The substances in the feed water which are

page_text: principally calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate are as simple carbonate of
lime and carbonate of magnesium carried off as sludge.. In order however to accom-
plish the blowing off more quickly and completely without thereby causing important
variations in the steam pressure in the upper boiler, the steam generated in the flame.
deflector flows into the collecting pipe 2 of the feed heater and subjects the already:
warmed water to steam temperature. The mixture of wet steam and sludge comes
then between the dividing walls g2g in the upper boiler mixes further with the
water separated from the steam and flows, slowly to the back part of the upper boiler.
Gypsum in the water can be carried off by the addition of soda whereby sulphite of
soda and carbonate of lime are formed. The sludge floating on the surface is held
back by the trough-formed sheet plates between the dividing walls g² g³ in the
upper drum and collected. The heavier mineral substances in the form of sludge-
settle in the deepest part of the upper drum where they do no harm, as the upper.
boiler is only exposed to the last heating gases, and where they can be removed by
cleaning. The cleaner water ascends over the slit t of the dividing walls g² g³, flows.
back in front, whence it enters the distributing pipe of its own weight through the
down pipes bb. Hence the water is divided over the heating pipos of the steam
generator. The boiling water ascends in a sinúous course through all the heating
tubes up to the collecting pipe s, in order then to be able to enter as a mixture of
steam and water through the ascending pipe d into the upper drum. In larger boilers
where the middle pipe c is applied part of the water carried with the steam parts
from the steam and sinks through this pipe back again into the distributing pipe.
Part of the water falls also of its own weight from the distributing pipe of the steam!
generator down into the flame deflector and the steam here generated flows as
described into the collecting pipe ² of the feed heater and thence into the upper
boiler. In this way an active and forced circulation of the water takes place in all
parts of the boiler, and the admixtures which in the earlier flow are carried on or
not separated are left behind in the sludge catcher or trap of the upper drum.
When quite pure water is fed, that is water which has been purified by chemical or
mechanical means, the sludge trap g² g³ in the upper drum. is left, entirely out.
Instead of the dividing walls and the inserted sheet plates, two pipes are applied
which reach from the back part to the front part of the upper drum B and join the
down pipes by means of knee pieces.. The cooler water flows thereby down..
from the back part of the upper boiler into the distributing pipe of the steam.
generator and the flame deflector. The connection of the flame deflector, with, the
feed heater remains as before.
In the case where there is no feed heater applied, for instance when the feed water
is first heated by the exhaust steam of the steam engine, the flame deflector is
connected directly with the upper drum. The water enters above into the steam
pipe of the flame deflector becomes considerably heated and is brought to steam
temperature before it reaches the upper drum.
With the present boiler there is further almost no incrustation in consequence of
the active water circulation in the heating tubes and if necessary any incrustation
can be removed by loosening the jointing of the branched pipes by loosening the
double nuts. The pipe is then taken out the incrustation got rid of by light
hammering with a wooden hammer, the tube is then laid in its seat again and
secured. This method of cleaning is simple, easily done, and takes little time.
The present boiler possesses the advantage that it has very few parts, therefore is
very durable and easily repaired. As in it the course of the ascending steam is
completely separated from the down flowing water, a very quiet but quick generation
of steam is attained and completely dry steam produced. With continuous feeding
of the boiler and not too irregular drawing off of steam superheated steam can also be
produced by lowering the water level and placing a water guage at the side of the
down pipe 6 or 61 at the height of the branched pipe which indicates the lowest
permissible water level. The upper half of the heating tube serves then to dry and
superheat the steam.
In order to still increase the water circulation in the heating tubes of the steam

page_text: generator fewer of the horizontal tubes may be placed in the rows lying lowest than
in the next higher lying row, as is shown in Figure 2, in which the uppermost row
has 16, the second 14, the third 12, the fourth and fifth only 10 branched pipes.
As the lowest pipes are exposed to the greatest heat, the water circulation is increased
in them and incrustation minimised.
By the Tenbrinck furnace a bright yellow smokeless flame is produced, the heating
surfaces of the lowest pipes cool the heating gases very moderately as the water
according to the counter stream principle runs through them, in consequence of this
the heating effect of the coals is taken out to the extent of 85 % and the heating
gases are much split up and used up in the best way.
The boiler described above requires only a small fire space requires little masonry
and is therefore inexpensive to fit up. Also there is little room required for service,
and two boilers can be arranged side by side.
The boiler is easy of transportation as it is set together in separate parts and is
easily got at in all its parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved water tube boiler herein-
before described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. A water tube boiler consisting of a steam generator composed of approximately
horizontal tubes placed vertically over each other as described and an upper drum
connected thereto substantially as described.
3. In a water tube boiler the arrangement of a flame deflector C formed of
branched pipes of the steam generator and connected with the pipe ¹ of the steam
generator as also with the ascending pipe s of the upper drum or the collecting
pipe of the feed heater D substantially as described.
4. In a water tube boiler the arrangement of a heater D between the steam
generator A and upper drum B and built in the outlet flue and through which the
feed water passes before entering the steam generator substantially as described.
5. In a water tube boiler the arrangement of the single branched pipes of the
steam generator A the flame deflector Cor the heater D by pieces and caps h¹k k¹
which are maintained in position each against its seat by right and left hand screws
substantially as described.
Dated this Seventh day of February 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.