Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tubes in Steam Boilers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1894-Accepted. 1st Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tubes in Steam Boilers.
I, WILHELM VON ESSEN, of Graskeller 21, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to further improvements on apparatus for cleansing boiler
tubes as described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 492 of 1874 and it
consists in or of a system of pipes connected to a suitable source of steam supply
having a convenient valve or valves and cocks with a pipe or pipes forming a blast
pipe or pipes fitted with perforations or steam exits to correspond with the boiler
tubes, or series of boiler tubes, and to confront them when the said blast pipe is,
by hoisting or otherwise, brought into position against such tubes or series thereof,
and in combination with such machinery, or otherwise, the invention embraces the
addition and use of nozzles projecting inwards or outwards or both, or only inwards,
fitted in the steam blast pipe or pipes and for the passage of steam whereby the
condensed steam or water may be received and lie in the bottom or lower part of
the said blast pipe and below the nozzles and so not allow of the condensed steam
or water being carried into the boiler tubes when the blast pipe is blowing steam
into them.
Dated this 1st day of November 1892
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tubes in Steam Boilers.
I WILHELM VON ESSEN, of Graskeller 21, Hamburg in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for cleansing boiler tubes by means of steani
and is principally intended as an improvement on tube-cleaning apparatus, described
in the Specification of Patent No. 492 of 1874.
The apparatus consists of a system of pipes, which by means of link-pipes is
connected with a steam valve and which by the aid of any appropriate loisting-
arrangement can be moved up and down before the orifices of the boiler tubes.
The lower part of this system of pipes constitutes the blast-pipe and is perforated
with holes, corresponding to the openings of the boiler tubes. This blast-pipe is
constructed so, that steam can be blown at the same time into each of a series,
usually a horizontal row of boiler-tubes, when the steain valve is opened; the
blast pipe being brought by successive liftings before each horizontal row of tubes.
The steam so admitted, carries rapidly with it the soot and ashes, deposited in the
tubes, thus cleaning their walls.
On my previous patented tube-cleaning apparatus a disadvantage has been
observable in practice namely that after the steam valve was opened, the steam
became condensed in the line or joint pipes and in the system of pipes itself and
that this condensed water was together with the steam carried into the tubes.
This water then caused the soot to adhere to the tube-walls and to burn in, thus
preventing effective cleaning.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings represents a front view and partial sectional
view of two steam boilers, provided with my improve apparatus.
Fig. 2 a lateral view of Fig. 1 (partially in section).
Fig. 3 plan view of Fig. 1.
In these figures a is the steam-valve,
dblast-pipe with blast-boles i.
rotary joints, e c¹ c² steam. pipes;
Fig. 4 shows a cross sectional view through a blast pipe as previously used.
This latter fig. illustrates the old manner, in which the steam carried away the
condensed water w from the lower part of the pipe by pressing it through the
blast-holes thus carrying it into the boiler tubes or flues e.
Now to do away with this disadvantage and to avoid carrying the condensed
water into the tubes, the following improvement has been made, which is illustrated.
by Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the annexed drawings; it consists of the insertion into
the blast holes of the pipes d of short small pipes m screwed or fixed in any other
suitable way, so that the inner open ends of these latter stand at a certain distance
inwards from the inner walls of the blast-pipe d. (These small pipes m preferably
reaching to about the middle of the pipes d.)
These small pipes m may either project beyond the outer surface of the blast-
pipe d (see Figs. 5 and 6) or they may be adapted so as to end at the outer surface
of pipe d. (see Fig. 7). By this improved arrangement the condensed water w
is prevented from being carried away by the steam.
When the action of the apparatus is stopped, the water to then existing in the
tubes or flues of the boiler is again transformed into steam by the heat of the
gases, if such transformation into steam has not already been effected during
the continued process of passing through steam, after the pipes c c¹.
become entirely hot.
.. have
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim, is:
In apparatus for cleaning boiler tubes the combination with a steam blast pipe
adapted to distribute jets of steam into said boiler tubes as described, of pipes m
for passage of said steam jets, inserted in said steam blast pipe in such a manner,
that their inner ends lie at a distance inwards from the inner wall of said blast
pipe for avoiding the entrance of condensed water therein; substantially as
described.
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent to Applicant.