IMPROVE- MENTS IN PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Spencer, of No. 2, Lausanne Villas, Queen's
Road, Peckham, Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS."
Sealed the 2nd October 1863, and dated the 9th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Spencer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
April 1863.
I, GEORGE SPENCER, of No. 2, Lausanne Villas, Queen's Road, Peckham.
Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS," to be
as follows:-
My improvements consist in the use of a close vessel or separator provided
with dished surfaces of suitable form to be placed on any convenient part of
the boiler top and in connection with the steam space through which the feed
water to be used in the boiler is passed, and in which the water by passing
through such close vessel is made to receive a first ebullition before entering
the boiler proper. I find that all or a large part of the salts or substances
held in solution or suspense is deposited at once in such vessel and so is
prevented from entering the boiler and incrusting the sides of the boiler and
the tubes. I coat the inside of the boiler and the outside of the tubes with a
suitable substance, such as Green's metallic oxide paint, to provide for the too

page_text: rapid feeding of the boiler for the action of the separator, so that should any
portion of salts or suspended substances held in combination or suspension in
the water pass the separator it cannot combine with or adhere to the metal of
the boiler or the tubes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Spencer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SPENCER, of No. 2, Lausanne Villas, Queen's Road, Peckham, Surrey, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-tbree, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
ine, the said George Spencer, Her special licence that I, the said George
Spencer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Spencer, 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
PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Spencer, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under 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 George Spencer, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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:-
My Invention consists in improvements in preventing incrustation in steam
engine boilers, and is as follows:-I place on some convenient part of the
boiler in connection with the steam space a close vessel of iron or other suitable

page_text: metal of a cylindrical or other suitable form, furnished with a number of
diaphrams or dishes placed in such vessel one over the other; through the
centre or sides of such vessel I bring the feed-water pipe, so that the feed
water is discharged into the top dish or diaphram, from which it flows into the
next under, through holes or spaces furnished with raised edges. not quite so
deep as the raised edges of the outside of dish, so that the water may all pass
into the next lower dish by such holes or spaces, there being a series of such
dishes. The water passes from the feed pipe into the top dish, then from that
through the spaces into the next lower dish, and so on through the whole
series of dishes; the object of this contrivance is to catch and retain the salts
held in solution by the cold water, and which are thrown down as a deposit on
the boiling of the water in the dishes or diaphrams by the heat of the steam of
boiler, with which the whole inside surface of the vessel is always in contact,
or a series of dishes may be arranged having one with the largest diameter and
bottom, and each one placed over this of a little less diameter than the one
under it; these dishes have no holes or spaces in them, but the water passed
by feed pipe into the top dish flows over the raised edge of dish into the one
under that, when full into the next, and so on to the bottom one, and lastly,
in either case, through a hole in the boiler top, and into the steam space of
builer.
As an additional security I coat the surface of the inside of this vessel, and
the dishes, and the inside of boiler and outside diameter of tubes or flues (if
any) with a suitable substance, such as Green's oxide paint, to prevent the
adhesion of the deposited salts to the metal.
Any convenient form may be given the vessel, and it may be placed inside
the boiler in the steam space, but I prefer to place it on the outside of boiler
for convenience of cleaning and removing the deposit in the dishes through
the moveable top of vessel.
The plan may be used in any kind of steam boiler, for locomotives, stationary
or marine engines, but more usefully in the two first kinds of boiler.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Spencer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
GEORGE SPENCER. (L.s.)