US1093293A - Steam-superheater for locomotive and like tubular boilers. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM SUPERHEATER FOR LOOOMOTIVB AND LIKE TUBULAR BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912. 1,093,293. Patented Apr. 14, 19m

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STEAM SUPERHEATER FOR LOOOMOTIVE AND LIKE TUBULAR BOILERS.

' APPLICATION FILED M11123, 1912.

1,093,293. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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UMTEEE erasures PATENT @lihlfifl JOHN GEORGE ROBINSON, 0F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

STEAM-SUPERHEATEE FOR. LOCC MO'IIVE AND LIKE TUBULAR BOILERS.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, J oHx Grouse ROBIN- SON, a subject of the King ot Great Britain and Ireland, residing at lvlanchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, (whose postoflice address is Boothdale, Fair-field, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Steam- Superheaters for Locomotive and like Tubular Boilers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to steam superheaters for locomotive and like tubular boilers.

The invention consists principally in providing a header having saturated and superheated steam compartments or chambers to which the respective ends of each of the superheating elements or steam circulating pipes are connected, the construction and arrangements being such that any single superheating element or steam circulating pipe can be disconnected from the header and removed without in any way disturbing or interfering with any of the remaining superheating elements or circulating pipes. Each of the said steam circulating or superheating pipes extends longitudinally, as usual, into a smoke or fire tube in the upper part of the boiler there being a number of such smoke tubes (which may be as usual of enlarged size 2'. 6. larger than the ordinary fire tubes) arranged in transverse or horizontal and vertical rows each row of smoke tubes being preferably parallel, both horizontally and vertically, to the other row or rows of smoke tubes. Further the smoke box ends of each superheating element or steam circulating pipe are bent upwardly and connected to the header, preferably by expanding them into the header, one end into the saturated steam compartment or chamber of the header and the other end into the superheated steam compartment or chamber, these ends being arranged one in front of the other in the same plane; and the upwardly bent ends of the superheater elements or steam circulating pipes, in each row of such pipes, are also bent in such a way as to pass around or clear the superheating elements or steam circulating pipes of the other rows of such pipes. Further according to this invention the above Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 23, 1912.

Patented Apr. first, 1914.

Serial No. 685,858.

mentioned header consists of a box, which may be made of cast steel, or other suitable material, divided into two parallel compartments or chambers by a suitable vertical partition or wall which is preferably made integral with the header or box. Each of the said chambers preferably extends through out the entire length of the header which is preferably so constructed and arranged as to be mounted transversely in the upper part "of the smoke box above the uppermost horizontal row of smoke or fire tubes. The chamber in the header adjacent to the smoke box tube plate of the boiler is the saturated steam chamber, having a suitable steam inlet opening to which is connected the saturated steam pipe from the steam dome of the boiler, the outer chamber, nearest the smoke box door, being the superheated steam chamber which is provided with suitable outlets for the superheated steam to which outlets are connected the steam pipes leading to the cylinder valve chests of the engine. a

For the purpose of preventing the superheated steam being cooled by coming in contact with one side of a wall of the header the other side of which is in contact with saturated steam, the central longitudinal dividing wall or partition in the header may be formed hollow, 2'. e. a chamber may be formed in said wall, and the lower side of the hollow space or chamber be left open. Said chamber or space would preferably extend throughout the length and height of the partition, its upper side and ends being closed by webs preferably constituted by the metal of the casting. The end walls of said space or chamber in the partition may be provided with holes leading to the smoke box. If desired small cross webs of metal might be provided at certain points in said chamber to strengthen the casting, provided such webs are not so placed as to materially affect or impede the circulation of the smoke box gases through said chamber.

The above mentioned box or header is provided with a removable cover or covers, on the top, the said covers being secured on the header by means of studs and nuts or other suitable means. One or more transverse bridges or webs are provided in the box or header, for instance in the upper part of the header, and holes may be provided through the said webs or bridge pieces in line with the ends of any of the superheater elements or steam circulating pipes that may be opposite to or in line with the bridge piece so that the mandrel of the tool, for expanding these tube ends into the header, may pass through the said holes.

The top of the above mentioned header or box preferably slopes downwardly to each end of the header for a predetermined or desired distance, for instance the downwardly sloping portion at each end of the header may extend from the center or about the center of the opening to which the steam pipe leading to the cylinder valve chest is connected, the intermediate or main portion of the top of the header being fiat or horizontal. With this form of header there may be a separate cover for each of the sloping ends of the header and another cover for the intermediate flat or horizontal portion of the header.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

4 Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly sectional, of one form of header according to thisinvention and shows some of the steam superheater elements or pipes connected to the said header. Fig. 2 is a plan, partly sectional, of the header shown in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line A, B Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an alternative construction of header according to this invention. Fig. 5 is a plan partly sectional, of the header shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line C, D Fig. 4: looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to F igs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 is the header the bot-tom 2 of which constitutes a tube plate into which the upwardly bent ends 3, 3 and 3 of the superheater elements 4 of each of the horizontal rows of such elements are expanded, suitable holes being drilled in the bottom 2 of the header for receiving the ends of the said elements or pipes. 5 are smoke or fire tubes of the boiler which in the example shown are enlarged fire tubes. 6 is a central longitudinal partition dividing the header 1 into two chambers 7 and 8, 7 being the saturated steam Chitin her and 8 the superheated steam chamber. Formed on or suitably secured to the inner wall 9 of the header is a tubular extension 10 provided with a flange 10 adapted to be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the flanged end of the usual wet steam pipe leading from the steam space or dome of the boiler to the smoke box. 11 and 11 are openings formed by tubular bosses or pro- '1 jections on the front wall 12 of the header the faces of the said tubular bosses being adapted to have secured to them the usual flanges 13, 13 of the steam pipes to the engine cylinder valve chests, 14:, Fig. 3, indicating a portion of a steam pipe. As shown the flanges 13, 13 are secured to the faces of the tubular bosses comprising the openings 11, 11 by means of studs 15 adapted to receive nuts on their outer ends. As shown in Fig. 3 a widened face of the flange 16 is provided at the top of the partition (3, and inwardly projecting flanges 1 7 and 18 are provided at the top of the rear and front walls 9 and 12 respectively of the header. In the aforesaid flanges 16, 17'and 18 studs 19 are fixed with which correspondingly spaced holes in the covers or cover plates 20, 21 and 22 are adapted to engage, the said covers being secured 011 top of the header, so as to close the openings therein by means of suitable nuts on the outer ends of said studs.

As will be seen with reference to Fig. 2 the upwardly bent inlet and outlet ends of each of the superheater elements or pipes, hereinbefore referred to, are attached to the header one in front of the other, oneend of each element being in communication with the saturated steam chamber 7 of the header and the other end of the said element or pipe in communication with the superheated steam chamber 8. Further it will be seen with reference to Fig. 1 that the upwardly bent ends 3, 3 and 3 of the respective superheater elements or rows of superheater elements are so bent as to be completely clear of any other element so that if it is desired for any reason to remove any individual element this can be done without in any way interfering with any other element.

Although a particular form of bending of the upwardly bent ends 3, 3 and 3 of the respective rows of superheater elements or pipes is shown in the drawings it will be understood that these bends might be varied so long as the upwardly bent portions of the superheater elements or. pipes clear each other so as to permit of the removal of any individual elementor pipe without disturbing any other element or pipe.

23 indicates the opening or port in the back wall 9 of the header through which saturated steam enters chamber 7 the said opening or port 23 being a continuation of the passage way through the hereinbefore mentioned tubular projection 1O.

24 and 25 indicate transverse bridge pieces or plates, preferably formed in'onewith the header casting, which are provided with studs 19 for the purpose of securing the cover, and which provide jointing faces which form part of the jointing faces on the top of the header for the covers 20, 21 and 22.

As shown holes 26 and 27 may be provided respectively in the bridges 2t and25 w of the header which come underneath the number of elements, t. e. 12, is shown in the drawing.

Referring to Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 the construction of the header in these figures is substantially identical with that described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 but in this case there is provided a space 30 forming an insulating pocket or chamber in the partition or wall 6 which divides the header into the hereinbefore mentioned saturated and superheated steam chambers and 8. This insulating pocket or chamber 30 as shown in Fig. 5, extends almost entirely throughout the length of the header 31 being end walls of said pocket or chamber 30. Holes may, if desired, be provided in the end walls 31 of the chamber 30 to provide an outletfor the smoke box gases from said chamber so that said gases circulate and do not stagnate in said chamber.

By the provision of the above described chamber in the partition of the header the fire gases in the smoke box are enabled to circulate on all sides of the superheated, and also of the saturated, steam-chamber of the header and the loss of heat due to the superheated steam coming intocontact with one side of a wall whose other side is in con tact with saturated steam is prevented.

The header shown in Figs. 4c, 5 and 6 is arranged for use with 18 superheater elements or pipes. Of course if desired an insulating pocket such as 30 may be provided in the header shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which is arranged for 24 elements. As shown there are three horizontal rows of the above mentioned enlarged fire or smoke tubes 5, and consequently three horizontal rows of superheating elements or steam circulating pipes, although if desired the number of rows of smoke tubes and superheater elements might be varied. In the case of the superheater elements constituting the upper row, situated in the upper row of enlarged smoke tubes, the bent portions 3 of these elements take off from the longitudinal portions of the superheater pipe or element which are uppermost in the enlarged smoke tube. In the case of the elements situated in the intermediate and lower row of enlarged smoke tubes, the end of the element which receives the saturated steam takes ofi from one of the upper longitudinal portions of the element and the bent end. which delivers superheated steam into the header takes off from one of the lower longitudinal portions of the said element. To insert the elements into the holes in the tube plate 2 of the header when said header is in position or to drive said elements out therefrom it is necessary to force downwardly the smoke box ends of the elements to an extent equal to the thickness of the tube plate 2, plus the amount by which the ends of the said elements project above the said tube plate when in position, and by taking off the bent ends 3 from the upper row of ele ments in the manner described and shown provision is made for forcing downwardly the smoke box end of the element to the maximum possible.

The above mentioned top covers 20, 21 and 22 are preferably mild steel plates machined 011 their inner faces, the top faces of the walls of header being also machined to insure a good joint, suitable joint making material being, if desired, placed between the machined faces of the covers and walls of the header.

By the employment of a plurality of top covers for the header the time and labor necessary for withdrawing and replacing any particular element is considerably less than in the case where a single top cover or plate is fitted to the header as might be done without departing from the main features of the invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, with a boiler having three fire-tubes arranged one above another in substantially the same vertical plane, of a header provided with steam chambers, and superheater pipes arranged in the firetubes and having upwardly projecting end portions which are operatively connected to the said steam chambers, the end portions of the superheater pipes pertaining to the two lower fire-tubes being curved outwardly at their upper parts and inwardly at their lower parts and arranged with their intervening middle parts clear of the superheater pipes across which they extend, each superheater pipe being removable from its fire-tube without disturbing the remaining superheater pipes.

2. The combination, with a boiler pro vided with a smoke-box, and fire-tubes communicating therewith and arranged one above another in sets of three; of a header secured in the smoke-box and arranged horizontally above the level of the fire-tubes and provided with chambers for saturated steam and superheated steam respectively, superheater pipes arranged in the upper fire-tube of each set and having their projecting end portions operatively connected with the said chambers and arranged substantially in the vertical plane of the axis of the upper firetube, and superheater pipes arranged in the middle and lower fire-tubes of each set and having their projecting end portions curved outwardly at their upper parts and inwardly at their lower parts and arranged with their intervening middle parts clear of the superheater pipes across which they extend, their said upper parts being operatively connected with the said chambers and arranged upon opposite sides of the said vertical plane, so that each superheater element can be removed and replaced independent of the others.

3. The combination, with a header provided with chambers for saturated steam and superheated steam arranged side by side longitudinally, said chambers having hand openings and removable covers at their tops for givin free access to the upper ends vof the superheater pipes, said header having also a chamber or pocket for hot air extending between the aforesaid chambers and being open atits bottom and closed at its ends and top; of superheater pipes having their upper ends secured to the bottoms of the said steam chambers.

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GEORGE ROBINSON. Witnesses:

G. B. SMITH, \V. WV. SIMPSONQ Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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