IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM FIRE ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND TO PUMPS GENERALLY
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Stracey Barron at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1863.
I, HENRY STRACEY BARRON, of Morant Cottage, Blackheath Road, Green-
wich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM FIRE ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND TO PUMPS GENERALLY," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to the construction and arrange-
ment of steam fire engines, and consists in making the boiler, which is of the
vertical tubular description, with an improved arrangement of the tubes and
internal parts. According to this
According to this part of my Invention I propose to employ a
boiler having the usual circular or cylindrical shell, and provided with a corre-
sponding shaped fire-box at its lower extremity. On the top of this fire-box is
rivetted a combustion chamber, and round this chamber are arranged a series
of tubes, communicating at the lower end with the tube plate of the fire-box,
and at their upper end with an upper tube plate extending the entire circum-
ference of the boiler. I prefer to arrange these tubes so as to diverge towards
their upper ends. The top of the combustion chamber rises to within a short
distance of the proper water lever, and is connected by a series of short tubes
with the upper or main tube plate. In the centre of the top of the com-
bustion chamber there is fitted a water tube, which descends through the
centre of the fire-box and grate, and is connected beneath the fire-bars with a

page_text: number of radial tubes opening into the water space surrounding the fire-box.
By this arrangement a constant circulation of the water in the boiler is
maintained. Suitable plugs are fitted into the outer shell to facilitate the
cleaning of the radial tubes. One or more fire-doors may be fitted to the fire-
box as found most convenient. To the centre of the main or upper tube plate
is bolted a steam chamber, which rises some distance up the interior of the
chimney, the lower portion of the chimney being expanded to receive the
steam chamber, and forms an annular smoke passage surrounding the same.
By this means the steam will be considerably heated or dried before it is
supplied to the engine.
The pumps and valves are so constructed as to afford a more rapid and free
inlet and outlet of and from the barrels, whilst at the same time the valves
are not liable to injury by rapid working, as is the case in the arrangements
hitherto adopted.
According to one modification of double-acting pump a series of ports or
openings are made round the two ends of the barrel, so as to admit of the free
passage of water into and from such barrel all round its circumference. Over
these openings or ports and on the outer side of the barrel work two annular
slide valves, which also work on their outer circumferences against the interior
of a second barrel or casing. These two annular slides are connected by rods
or otherwise, and are worked by eccentrices or other suitable mechanical
contrivance. The suction or inlet pipe communicates with the interior of the
outer casing between the two annular slides, whilst the delivery or discharge
pipes are situate at each extremity of such casing beyond the two annular
slides, and may be united into one air vessel or not, as desired. When a
single action pump is required only one annular valve and set of ports is
required.
According to another arrangement of double-action pump, which is also
applicable as a single-action pump by a slight modification, I dispense with
the annular slide or slides, and employ in lieu thereof a cylindrical slide valve,
each end of which (in double-action pumps) works in a corresponding valve
chamber as close as possible to the pump barrel. The two ends of the valve
chamber are provided with a number of ports or openings round their entire
circumference, which communicate directly with a surrounding chamber, into
which the ends of the pump barrel open. The suction pipe opens into a
casing in communication with the two valve chambers, and the discharge
takes place either through the centre of the cylindrical slide or otherwise, as
desired. In all these arrangements of pumps and valves I propose to apply
any well-known arrangement of relief valve for the purpose of preventing any

page_text: dangerous concussion of, the water by the too early closing of the main valve.
I further propose to connect the pump barrels of steam fire engines with a
surface condenser to be used for condensing the waste steam of the engine, so
that a stream of cold water will be passed along the condenser during the
working of the pumps. By this means the engines will be worked as con-
densers, and the boiler may be supplied with pure water direct from the
condenser.
It is obvious that these improvements in the boilers, pumps, and valves of
steam fire engines are equally applicable to steam generators and pumps for
other purposes.