960

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

May 18, 1917.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

100369. High Power and Speed Turbine Plant.
Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Oerlikon, Switzerland. — This
invention relates to a high power and high speed turbine
plant. The maximum output of an ordinary steam turbine
with only a single exhaust and a given speed is limited by
the practicable limits of length of the vanes of the last
wheel. A bigger output can only be attained in two ways :
(1) By reducing the speed of the turbine. Thus the
diameter of the wheel and the length of the vanes can be
increased so that more steam can flow through the machine,
thus yielding a higher output. (2) By subdividing and
arranging in parallel the last turbine wheels in cases where
the length of the vanes would already surpass the limit
admissible in practice for a single wheel. Investigations
have now shown that the last arrangement offers quite con-
siderable economical advantages, on account of the higher
speed. Constructions have become known in which a part
of the low pressure wheels is divided into two groups work-
ing in parallel. With this arrangement it is possible for a
given speed to double the maximum output of the single
turbine. The maximum output may, of course, be trebled
if the low pressure wheels are arranged in three parallel
groups ;• and this may be continued to any desired limit.
The maximum output is, .however, limited by the machine
coupled to the turbine and taking up the work done by the
latter. Thus, for example, for practical reasons it has not
been possible with alternating generators with a speed of
3,000 revolutions per minute to exceed about 10,000 horse-
power, wdiereas with a steam turbine with a speed of 3,000
revolutions per minute with two low-pressure groups,
15,000 horse-power can be easily attained under normal con-
ditions. In order to completely utilise a turbine, it is
necessary to couple together two generators of the same or
.different size; the work of the outer generator has to be

7^.7

B

transmitted through the shaft and coupling of the inner
generator. In order to utilise the advantage of enabling
both generators to be interchanged, the coupling and shaft
of the outer generator must, however, be.made abnormally
large. In order to be able to utilise two equal ordinary
generators, advantageously, at least two steam turbines on
separate shafts are used, each of which produces half the
energy, and is coupled to a generator. The present inven-
tion relates to a high power and high speed turbine plant
comprising a plurality of steam or gas turbines wherein the
operating medium is distributed to parallel working stages
as soon as the highest economical aclmissible lengths of the
vanes has been attained, and in which the individual mem-'
bers of the working stages are grouped into different tur-
bines on separate shafts, in such manner that the indi-
vidual output of each shaft is approximately the same. I he
generators driven by the turbines are shown in fig. 1. The
first unit (I.) consists of the high pressure turbine A and a
generator B. The second unit (II.) comprises the double
low pressure turbine C D, and a generator E. Further
advantages may, however, be attained by providing medium
pressure members. The operating medium passes from the
high pressure turbine F (I.) to the medium pressure mem-
ber G of the second turbine (II.), and when (but only
when) the maximum admissible vane length is attained,
the operating medium is subdivided into two equal'por-
tions, and passed through the two low pressure members
H and J. It will be obvious that a large number of prac-
tical modifications of the plant are feasible. The essential
part in the distribution of the wheels is that the division of
the pressure medium always takes place as soon as the
highest economically admissible length of the vanes has
been reached. (Six claims.)

105112. Improvements in Liquid Fuel Burners. II. F.
Hoveler, of Tandem Works, Merton Abbey, Surrey.-—
Relates to improvements in liquid fuel burners for use
with furnaces, boilers, ovens, and the like, and more par-
ticularly to burners of the kind described in Patent No.
6644/10. The drawing is a longitudinal sectional 'eleva-
tion. A spraying device is .provided in which oil fuel is
fed through an inner tube, channel, or chamber a, and
steam, at about 30 lb. pressure, through an outer or sur-
rounding tube, channel, or chamber b, and the steam outlet
c is only a small annular aperture, and the consumption of
steam, is-therefore insignificant. The oil and steam may
be'fed to their 'respective tubes, channels, or chambers
through flexible pipes d and e, and inlets or ports / and g,
and their flow through said pipes be controlled by cocks
and/or screw plugs or adjusting cones. The outlet ends
of the tubes, channels, or chambers a and b serve as nozzles

or may be connected to
nozzles. A spray cone
j of mixed oil and
steam leaves the out-
lets or ends of the
oil and steam tubes,
channels, or chambers
under the force of the
steam pressure and the
natural gravity of the
oil. The air required
for burning the fuel is

allowed to enter the apparatus through one or more oblong
or other air holes or slots k formed in the end cap I of an
outer nozzle, casing or capsule m surrounding the outlet
ends of the tubes, .channels, or chambers, said holes or slots
being controlled by a rotatable disc valve or shutter n
formed with holes or slots o adapted to be moved to more
or less coincide with the holes or slots k in the cap. The
jet j of sprayed oil and steam leaving the tubes, channels,
or chambers of the sprayer and mixer under a force of
about 30 1b. pressure; forms a cone which is touched peri-
pherally by an intermediate nozzle, tube, or ring p fitted
around and/or in front of the outlet ends of said tubes,
channels or chambers, creating thereby a powerful suction.
within said nozzle tube or ring and between the outlet end

of the latter and the outlet ends of the oil and steam tubes,
channels, or chambers. The nozzle or member p is formed
with perforations p1 for the passage of air thereinto from
the nozzle m. A similar suction is created within the cap-
sule or casing m and between the latter and the nozzle,
tube,- or ring p when the fuel and steam cone, j touches
peripherally the outlet end or aperture q of the capsule.
(Four claims.),

105141. Improvements Connected with Idler Pulleys for
Conveyor Belts. Fraser and Chalmers Limited, of 3,
London Wall Buildings, London, E.C. ; and F. G. Mitchell,
of Penthorpe, Bexley-road, Erith, Kent. — Relates to
improvements connected with idler pulleys for conveyor
belts. The drawing represents in elevation partly in sec-
tion a series of idler pulleys supported by two end brackets.
a is the conveyor belt, and b b the brackets. The latter
have their upper ends preferably bent or formed as shown
to bring them into parallelism with the ends of the pulleys

STCE!.

&AND '■

■ h,'

This band a forms a

c. Each pulley is secured on a rod or link d or e respec-
tively, those marked d. having hooks at each end, and those
marked e eyes at each end to engage the hooks, so that a
chain is formed, of which each end link e enters a casing g
containing balls h, and tracks for same the ends of each end
link havifig a head i, which' takes a bearing on the balls.
The whole chain of links and pulleys is thus free to revolve
in the ball bearings, which for the.purpose of self-adjust-
ment have their casings provided with curved faces I engag-
ing correspondingly curved seats m carried by the.brackets
b. (Two claims.)

105129. Improvements in Miners’ Timber Measuring
Bods or Canges. D. S. Nicholas,- of 1, Church-street,
Llanbradach, Cardiff.—Relates to miners’ timber measur-
ing rods or gauges, .and refers to measuring instruments
of the kind which are formed of superposed longitudinally
extensible sections slidably connected so that they may be
contracted into a compact form or. extended to the full
length as required. Fig. 1 is an isometric view ; fig. 2 is a
section through line A—B, fig. 1; and fig. 3 is a. section
through line C—D, fig. 1. a and b are the two strips
superposed one upon the other. They may be of any.
required material and of any convenient length. The strip
a is formed with a longitudinal slot c, the sides or walls of
which are grooved as at d d (see figs. 2 and 3). A third
strip e is inserted in the slot c of the strip a, and is formed
with tongues at the sides
which are a slidable fit in
the grooves d. Or, as
shown, a pin / is passed
through the strip c with its
ends projecting, at each
side of the said strip e to
engage in the grooves d
aforesaid, g is a spring steel
band affixed at its ends
to one end of the strip a
and encircling the strip b at
one end when the measur-
ing rod is in the closed po

guide (besides holding the two strips a and b together) for
the strip b to travel in when the sections a and b of the
measuring rod. are extended. h is a spring steel band
affixed to the strip b, and bent over so as to envelop the
strip a and form a guide and a binder for the two scrips
a and b. One end of this band h is left free, as at h1, anl
projects slightly beyond the edge of the strip a, so that
it may be released by the operator to facilitate the open-
ing or the closing of the measuring rod. Similarly i and j
are guides and binding bands secured at one end of the
strip a, and encircling the said strip a and the strip e, the
band j having one end free for release by the operator
when withdrawing or returning the section e of the ro.l
from or to the strip a. The surfaces of the different sec-
tions of the rod are suitably graduated, and the rod may
be drawn out or lengthened to suit requirements. A
further extensible sliding piece may be fitted upon the
centre strip e in a similar manner to that in which e is
fitted upon the strip a, and so on. (One claim.)

■ 105103. Improvements in and Relating to Superheaters.
F. 0., Bynoe, 51, Myrtle-road, Acton, London, W.—This
invention is directed to that type of superheater in which
compound or double tubes are employed. The invention
consists essentially of a double or compound tube formed
by an outer conical or parallel tube containing an inner
conical tube placed centrally or eccentrically, or an outer
parallel tube with an inner parallel tube placed eccentric-
ally, either arrangement being so disposed in connection
with a header that the inner tube can be independently
withdrawn from the outer tube for inspection of both outer
and inner tubes without interfering with any other of a
series of tubes, or that an outer tube can be removed for
inspection, without interfering with those that remain. The
invention also comprises flanged inlet and distributing
header, flanged collecting and outlet header, or a combined
flanged inlet distributing header and flanged collecting
outlet header, flanged return bends connecting each passage
in an inlet header with the corresponding passage in an
outlet header, the outer tubes of the compound tubes being
connected by their flanged ends to one face of the outlet
header, whilst the inner tubes are connected to the outer
face of the inlet header by return bends which carry said
inner tubes, said inner tubes passing through said outlet
header into the outer tubes. The drawing is a sectional
view showing a flanged header and superheater tube, the
latter consisting of an outer cylindrical shaped tube a
sealed at one end, containing a concentrically disposed
taper or conical inner tube d, with its widest part at the
open free end. The tube or chamber a, which may have
any sectional shape, is sealed at one end a1, and at the
other end a2 opening into an outlet passage b in a flanged
header c. This flanged header c is provided with two
passages separated from one another by a wall or
diaphragm g, one passage being elbow-shaped, and the
other T-shaped, one end of the cross passage in the T
opening on to the same side of the header as one of the
openings of the elbow-shaped passage, and to the side of
said header c which presents the one opening only is
attached, by its slotted flange the outer tube a.
To the other side of the header is attached by
its slotted flange a return bend / connecting the two open-
ings, viz., one end of the elbow passage with one end of
the T passage. Into the passage of the return bend which

covers the T passage in the header c is fitted one end of
the inner tube d, open at both ends d1, d2, the open end d1
of said tubes d reaching nearly to the closed end a1 of the
outer tube a. The other end d2 is attached to the above-
mentioned header c in such a manner that it terminates in
an inlet passage b1 in the header. Thus an annular space
e is produced between the inner and outer tubes. By this

construction, steam or vapour entering by way of the inlet
b1 in the header c and into the inner tube d has to flow to
the end d1 of said inner tube and then pass by way of the
annular space e between the inner and outer tubes to the
outlet b, and as it is necessary that the sectional area of
the steam passage through the tubes shall gradually
increase from inlet to outlet, the inner tube d is made
conical with its largest end d1 near the sealed end a1 of
the outer tube a. If it is desirable to produce an increased
variation between the sectional area of the inlet and the
outlet, the outer tube a is made cone-shaped, with its
outlet end a2 larger than sealed end a1. As the part of the
superheater tubes through which the thickest sectional
area of steam is flowing must be attacked by the hottest
portion of gases from the furnace, the inner tube d is
mounted eccentrically in the outer tube a in such a manner
that the part of the outer tube which contains the greatest
sectional area of the annular space e, i.e., that part of the
outer tube where there is the widest space between it and
the inner tube, is attacked by the fiercest heat, viz., if the
tubes are horizontal or oblique, the under part contains
the widest part of the annular space e, and if the tubes are
vertical or staggered, that side is placed in the direction of
the approaching hot gases from the furnace. The con-
struction above mentioned provides that only the outer
tube a. is subjected to the destructive gases of the furnace,
and is the only part likely to require renewing through
being burnt. Various forms of construction are described.
(Eight claims.)

105248. Improvements in or Relating to Feed Water
Heaping. R. Blackmore, Stalybridge, Chester; and K.
Baumann, Northwood House, Barnfield, ’ Urmston.—
According to this invention, the whole of the steam from
one or more of the engines or turbines of the plant is at
suitable intervals during the normal running of the plant
condensed either in the main or in an auxiliary condenser
or heater by the feed water, which is then delivered to a
feed, water tank or tanks, from whence it is supplied to
the steam generator or generators of the plant. Such feed
water tank or tanks are of sufficient capacity to supply the
steam generators of the plant for a considerable period of
time without replenishment, After the feed water has
been heated up in this manner, the condensing plant in
which the feed water has been heated is again supplied
with circulating water, and operated under the usual work-
ing conditions in which the highest possible vacuum is
obtained. During the time that the condenser is used as
a feed water heater, the vacuum obtaining will be
decreased in accordance with the temperature required
for the feed water. In some cases the heated feed water
may be supplied direct from the storage tanks to the steam
generator, whilst in other cases it will, first be passed
through an economiser subjected to the flue gases leaving
the boiler. In the plant constructed and arranged as
shown in fig. 1, the feed water is admitted at suitable
intervals to the main condenser of the plant, and condenses
the steam passing thereinto from the main engine of the
plant, here shown as a steam turbine at 1, the main con-
denser being indicated at 2. The culvert for the cold
circulating or condensing water is shown at 3, and that for
the hot circulating or condensing water at 4. The cold
circulating water is delivered to the water box of the con-
denser 2 through a pipe 5 by the circulating water pump 6,
and after passing through the condenser 2 is discharged

through the pipe 7 into the culvert 4. A valve 8, which
may be either a non-return valve or a sluice valve, is inter-
posed in the pipe 5 and a sluice valve 9 in the pipe 7. The
extraction pump for the condensate coming from the con-
denser is shown at 10, the condensate being delivered by
the extraction pump through the pipe 11 into a cold hot
well tank 12. Said tank 12 is connected by a pipe 13 with
the pipe 5 leading to the water box of the condenser 2, a
valve 14, which may be a sluice valve, being interposed in
the pipe 13. Another hot well or feed water tank 15 is
connected through a valve 16, which may be either a non-
return valve or a sluice valve, with the pipe 7 leading from
the water box of the condenser 2. A supply pipe 17 leads
from the tank 15, through which feed water is supplied
either direct or through an economiser subjected to the
flue gases leaving the boiler to the steam generator or
generators of the plant. The operation is as follows :—
When the plant is operating under normal conditions valves
8 and 9 are opened and valves 14 and 16 closed so that cold
circulating water will be passed by the circulating pump