IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Owen, of Hanley, in the County of
Stafford, Boiler Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
BOILERS.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Owen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th September 1873.
I, JAMES OWEN, of Hanley, in the County of Stafford, Boiler Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:―
The object of this Invention is to exclude the cold air from the
furnaces and flues of steam boilers during the time of firing, for the
purpose of preventing the sudden contractions and strains of the plates,
rivets, and stays, and the consequent injuries which take place in the
present boilers by the difference of temperature when the fire-doors are

page_text: closed and when they are opened for firing; and also for the purpose of
effecting economy of fuel.
Each flue is provided with an ordinary damper, but instead of working
it by hand I connect it by light chains or chains and rods, guided by
guide pulleys, to its corresponding fire-door, so that when the fire-door 5
is opened for firing, the damper shall fall by its own weight, and nearly
or entirely shut the flue, and thus prevent the admission and circulation
of the cold external air, which in practice is found to cause contractions
and strains on the plates, rivets, and stays, and require frequent repairs.
When the steam is blowing from the safety valve from an excess of 1
steam, and the fire-door is opened to diminish it, the damper by being
lowered prevents cold air from entering the furnace and flues, and allows
the steam to diminish gradually without cooling the metal plates, and
thereby effect economy of fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Owen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th March 1874,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
OWEN, of Hanley, in the County of Stafford, Boiler Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Owen, Her special licence that I
the said James Owen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Owen, 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 STEAM BOILERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Owen, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands 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 James Owen, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Figures on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to exclude the cold air from the
furnaces and flues of steam boilers during the time of firing, for the
purpose of preventing the sudden contractions and strains of the plates,
rivets, and stays, and the consequent injuries which take place in the
present boilers by the difference of temperature when the fire-doors are
closed and when they are opened for firing, and also for the purpose of
effecting economy of fuel.
t
Each flue is provided with an ordinary damper, but instead of
working it by hand I connect it by light chains or chains and rods,
guided by guide pulleys, to its corresponding fire-door, so that when the
fire-door is opened for firing, the damper shall fall, and nearly or entirely
shut the flue, and thus prevent the admission and circulation of the cold
3. external air, which in practice is found to cause contractions and strains
in the plates, rivets, and stays, and require frequent repairs.
When the steam is blowing off from the safety valve from an excess
of steam, and the fire-door is opened to diminish it, the damper by being
lowered prevents cold air from entering the furnace and flues, and allows
the steam to diminish gradually without cooling the metal plates, and
thereby effect economy of fuel.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are front,
side, and end views of a boiler provided with one arrangement of
my improvements; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of another
3 arrangement; and in all the Figures a represents the shell or outside
case of the boiler; b, the flues; c, the fire-doors; and d, the dampers.

page_text: In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the doors c are connected to one end of
chains f, which pass over guide pulleys 9, and are connected at their
other ends to the dampers d, so that when one or other or both of the
fire-doors are opened for the supply of fresh fuel or for clearing the
clinkers, the dampers will descend and close the flues..
In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the doors e are hinged to vertical shafts h, i, the
shaft / communicating with its corresponding damper by means of the
bevil wheels k, rod l, pulley m, and chain n, and the other shaft i by the
pulley p, chain q, and pulley r; but it will easily be perceived that
these modes only differ for the purpose of shewing that the same object
can be attained by different means, and it is evident that the arrange-
ments of the chains or chains and rods communicating with the fire-
doors and dampers will have to be varied according to the different
boilers to which they have to be connected.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it
to be understood that I claim, the system of connecting the fire-doors
and dampers together, so that the doors cannot be opened without the
dampers closing; and also the various mechanical contrivances for
enabling the system to be carried into practical effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Owen, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the before-named James Owen
in the presence of
CHA. W. COLLINS.
JAMES OWEN. (L.S.)