CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING BOILERS WITH WATER, GENERATING STEAM, AND CONSUMING SMOKE, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO MARINE, LOCOMOTIVE, STATIONARY, AND OTHER BOILERS
Year: 1857

page_text: This Invention received Provisional Protection,
application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Schofield Crowther Sheard and
George Underwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th May 1857.
We, SCHOFIELD CROWTHER SHEARD and GEORGE UNDERWOOD, Millwrights,
Engineers, and Founders, of the Yorkshire Works, Smethwick (near Birming-
ham), in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING BOILERS WITH WATER,
GENERATING STEAM, AND CONSUMING SMOKE, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO MARINE, LOCOMOTIVE, STATIONARY, AND OTHER BOILERS," to be as
follows (that is to say):-
will be
The manner in which we propose to "supply boilers with water
understood by the following description:-The cold water from a cistern
or other source is conducted into the bottom of the boiler flue, and connected
with a chamber at the back of the furnace fire, from which chamber it is
taken through a series of connected tubes, terminating at the end of the fire
bars, which tubes form of themselves an inner or second set or series of bars,
and terminate in the cistern or chamber at the back, before described; and
at the top of this chamber another tube is connected, which travels back along
the crown of the boiler flue, and from thence to the boiler in the usual way.
Thus the water is conducted in a cold state into the cistern or chamber
before mentioned, and from thence, taking a tortuous course backward and

page_text: forward through the connected tubes which form the inner set or series of
fire bars, until it enters again the chamber or cistern in a boiling state, ready
to be pumped or otherwise forced into the boiler in that condition.
We do not confine ourselves exactly to this arrangement, as in some
instances the bar or plate that supports the solid fire bars at the back end
may be made hollow, and connected to the tube or tubes before mentioned,
forming the second series or set of fire bars, so that a stream of water may
be conducted through it; and again a tube may be connected with the cistern
herein-before referred to, and brought forward under the front set or series
of fire bars on one side, and connected with a hollow dead plate in front,
from whence the water may be conducted back again to the cistern by a
tube placed underneath the solid fire bars on the other side of the furnace.
The size of the bore of the tubes here referred to may be varied according
to requirements, as, for instance, if the object be simply to supply a boiler
with water, say, at a boiling point, for the purpose of economizing fuel, the
tubes through which the water passes must be regulated, first, as to the
velocity with which the current of water passes through them, and, secondly,
to the amount of water required to keep up the necessary supply in the boiler.
It will be readily conceived that this arrangement will also conduce to the
rapid "generation of steam;" but by increasing the size of the bore in these
tubes, and by regulating the pressure on the cold water as it enters them,
the water before escaping to the boiler may be converted into a vapour, thus
making the arrangement conduce to that essential object, particularly as
regards locomotive engines (whether used for railways or agricultural purposes),
namely, that of rapidly generating steam.
And our arrangements for the "constructing of furnaces for consuming
smoke," and which may be used with or separate from our improvements
above referred to, consist in applying a vertical or inclined central or sido
air-way chamber or chambers, which chamber or chambers are supplied with
atmospheric air from one or more air-ways, passing back from the front of the
fire hole or other convenient situation to a hollow bridge, for the purpose of
supplying the chamber or chambers before referred to with atmospheric air
from without, and which air-way or air-ways may have doors, valves, or
stoppers for regulating the supply.
In connection with the chamber or chambers at the back a series of hori-
zontal tubes are fixed, constructed of fire clay, cast iron, or other suitable
material. but the former of which we consider preferable, and which tubes
are constructed with a regular or irregular line of perforations, placed at right
angles with the length-way of the tubes; and the said perforations may be

page_text: round, square, oblong, or of any other suitable shape, increasing in size from
the outside to the inside. A series of these tubes is fixed at the back of the
furnace in connection with the air chamber or chambers before referred to,
and as the smoke is made to take a tortuous course around and between
them the air from the air-way or air-ways, and from the chamber or chambers,
will be emitted through the perforations from these horizontal tubes in a
highly rarefied state, to such a degree of heat that the moment this heated
air is brought in contact with the smoke it will have the effect of igniting it
into a flame, and of thoroughly burning or consuming the smoke and gases,
which would otherwise pass away unconsumed. In some instances in confined
furnaces it may be convenient to arrange those perforated tubes in a row from
side to side right over the fire, elevated in front and gradually inclining
downwards at the back, that as the smoke passes up and between them the
hot air passing through the perforations will ignite and consume it. The
hot air for effecting this is conducted to the perforated tubes through a long
air chamber, fixed each side of the furnace, and to which the perforated tubes
are attached. The form of these perforated tubes may vary, being either
round, square, oval, or other shape, according to circumstances.
It is not essential that the perforated tubes should be arranged horizontally,
as the same effect may be produced if placed vertically, which may be easily
done when the nature of the furnace will admit of their being placed at the
back.
These several improvements are applicable to all kinds of boilers, whether
connected with engines or otherwise.