USRE857E - Improvement in steam-boilers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WlLLIAM OLDMAN, 0F BUFFALO, NEIN YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-BOILERS.

Speeilicalion formingr parl` ol' Letters Patent No. 524,326, dated June '7, 1851); Reissue No. S57, dated November 22, 1859.

To all whom `it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLiAM ULUMAN, of the city of l-utihlo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steamdoilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section. horizontal section.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in giving a dishingor partlyspherieal torni to thetnbe-sheets which receive and sustain each end ofthe tubes, the hollow or concave side of one tube-sheet being presented toward the swelled or convex side of the other, in order to allow more expansion and contraction to the tubes than is allowed by the use of plane tube'sheets; second, in a peculiar arrangement of the tubes in reference to each other and to the dishing or spherical tubesheets, whereby the elasticity of the metal is made more available; third, in so arranging the tubes in sections as to make room for a man to pass between and around the sections to clear the sedimentfroin the tubes, Ste., and to inspect the interior condition of the boiler; fourth, in arranging the tubes relatively to the tubesheets so that the tubes will pass through the tube-sheets at right angles to the concaveconvex surface of the tube-sheets; fifth, in terminating the return-tubes outside of the water-space which surrounds the furnace, and sufficiently above the bottom of the furnace to allow the sediment to be removed from the waterspaee, the tubes to be cleaned, and the Fig'. 2 is a ashes removed from the jacket, and also to allow the furnace to be repaired without interfering With the tubes.

My grate A is circular. An annular water space or waterleg,W, completely encircles the fire, with the exception of an ordinary door on one side. (Not represented.) Across the topof the inside tire-box or furnace extends a crownsheet or tube-sheet, C, which is not plane as are all ordinary tube-sheets, but is slightly arched or domed, the sheet being convex on its upper face and concave on its lower face, as represented. This sheet C is thickly perforated with holes, in which are secured the ends ot' the tubes l), so that the said tubes will stand at right angles to the conca vo-eon vex surfaces ofthe tube sheets, through which tubes the products of combust ion escape from the furnace. These tubes l) are slightly inclined from the perpendicular, diverging as they ascend. I arrangetheln in three ormore sections, as shown in Fig. 2, and dispose each tube in one section parallel to the. otherI tubes in the same section. The upper extremities of these tubes are secured in a sheet, E,which is not plane, hut,like this dishing or spherical, the convex side being presented upward. The sheet E, like the sheet (l, is of a circular form. The sheet E is larger than the sheet U. By the divergence of the tubes I) a larger sheet is required to secure thcln at their upper than at their lower extremities, and not only is the arca of the curved portion greater, but, for obvious reasons, the radins of the curvature or dish ofE is greater than thatof C. The sheet E is of so large an area that it extends somewhat beyond the limits required to receive the ends of tubes I), but the annular portion E exterior to the tubes D is not dished; it is plane, like ordinary tube-sheets,as represented in Fig. I. The divergence of the upper ends of the tubes D leaves a considerable space in the center, which, like the smaller interstices between the tubes, is allowed to be filled with water. Above the annular space in which the upper ends of D are secured is a spacious box or combustionchamber, F, in an annular form, as represented. In this chamber the unburned gases rising from fresh fuel have a renewed opportunity to lningle with the free oxygen and flame and be burned. This combustion-chamber F is of such diameter that it extends over the plane annular portion E of the sheet E. The Water-space standing in the center ofthe combustion-chamber (denoted F) may be either cylindrical or conical. I have represented it as conical, the larger diameter uppermost. The combustionchamber F may be of any height consistent with the height of the entire boiler, care being taken to have its top well stayed to the top of the boiler, and to be sure that there is always sufficient water in it to avoid danger of its overheating. The exterior or shell of the boiler is of larger di- .mieter at the middle and top than at the base. At or near the level of C is an annular sheet,

G, which connects the cylindrical portion of i pcrforations are tightly secured the ends of an additional series ot' tubes, 'l l', as represented.

Through these tubes H the hotgases are compelled to descend from thc combustion-ch amber F. lscaping from the lower ends of H, they impingc upon a horizontal plate, I, which surronndsthe shell of the boiler at a lower level, as represented, and are then free to ascend to an annular lspace, N, provided between the shell ot' the boiler and a suitable jacket, J,

and to escape through the stack K. in the ordinary manner. Thisjacket may, ifpreierred, bedouble, and contain water between its parts, in order to heat such Water, preparatory to its being forced into the boiler; but I have repre sented it as a simple jacket of thin metal. The top of the boilerand ofthe ljacket may be of any form consistent with strength, either dome-like orspherical, conical, as represented, or of any other form according to the height allowable and as the desire tc obtain dry steam may dictate.

It will be observed that the bottom of the jacket, as shown at I, the annular sheet G, and tube H' are arranged sufficiently above the bottom of the furnace to allow room to remove the sediment which collects in the bottom of the water-space, and also to clear the tubes and allow the furnace to be repaired with out interfering with they tubes or thejacket. Suitable doors are made through the jacket i'orthis purpose. Also, by arrangingthe pipes Din sections and inclining them, as described, 1 make room for a man to pass between and around the sections, and clear the sediment i from the tubes and sheets, and inspect the iuterior condition ofthe boiler.

'lhe steam is taken from the boiler, at or near its top, in the usual manner, by a pipe (not represented and there are suitable man holes andhandholes (uotrepresented) through the boiler and through thejacket to allow access for repairs.

The hot gases arising from the lire ascend through the tubes 1),imparting heatto the water surrounding and between them. Asg cending from l) slightly cooled, they mingle and complete their combustion in the chamber F, and thence descend, through the tubes H, to the annular smokebox M, from which they rise in a current complctley surrounding the boiler, imparting heat to the contents at every step, and escape comlntratively cool into the stack K.

llane tubeshcets, such as are commonly used, cannot be made perfectly plane, but, on the contrary are slightly undulating; consequently the expansion and contraction will be unequal, or in opposite directions, (up and l dowm) according to the slight undulations of the sheets, thereby loosening the connection with the tubes and causing leakage; but my improvement of making the tube-sheets in the concave-convex `form and arranging the tubes at right angles to the concave-convex surfaces ofthe tubesheets the tube-sheets and tubes will expand and contract in the same direction, and together, and therefore the diiiculty is avoided, and a much more perfect boiler obtained.

l have ascertained by experience that this boiler is more efijcient in generating steam than any other kind of similar size, and is much less troublesome to keep tight, (and it is more durables and requires less fuel.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is

1. The central water-space, F', in the conr bastion-chamber F, arranged in relation tothe annular Water-space F and to the tubes D, or their respective equivalents, substantially as within set forth.

2. Placing the annular sheet G and horizontal plate I (which, with the jacket, form the smoke-box M) outside of the water-space W and snticiently above the bottom of the i water-space t0 allow the sediment to be conveniently removed from the water-space, in combination with the described arrangement of the return-tubes D, substantially as set forth.

YILLAM OLDMAN. Witnesses:

W. Gare-Irren, E. B. FoRnUsH.

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