Davies v. Davies' Patent Boiler Ld.

"Referring now to the Drawings, Figures 1, 2 and 3 show my invention 66 adapted for small boilers such as may be used in torpedo boats and the like. "In such boilers it is necessary to use water and steam drums of greatly reduced "diameter as compared with boilers of larger size. I therefore, construct a 5 "number of separate elements comprising upper and lower drums, preferably "about 9 inches in diameter joined by stacks of tubes 2. When it is desired to renew the tubes of one of said elements it is only necessary to detach a "junction pipe 7 from the bottom of the drum and withdraw the whole element "from the boiler. The up-cast or steam pipe 17 leading from the upper drum 10" to the steam dome is of course arranged with joints to allow of easy separation.

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"As above mentioned I arrange a small sized boiler as a number of separate "elements each of said elements comprising two or more steam and water “drums the drums being arranged either lengthwise with the furnace as shown "in the drawings or across said furnace at the top and bottom of a flue chamber. 15 "The lower drums are arranged to form the roof of the furnace 3 and if desired "suitably shaped fire bricks or the like are arranged in the spaces between said "drums. The stacks of tubes 2 are preferably an equal number for each "element and join said drums across the flue chamber above the furnace. The "roof of said tube or flue chamber is formed in a similar manner to that 20 described above with the spaces between the said drums filled in by fire bricks "or the like.

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Davies v. Davies' Patent Boiler Ld.

"A combustion chamber 4 is arranged at the back of the furnace constructed "by carrying the top steam and water drums which form the roof of the tube "chamber about one and a half to two feet further back than the lower water "drums as shown in Figure 2. The top drums form the roof of said combustion "chamber as above mentioned, and the sides and back of the chamber are 5 "enclosed by nests of water tubes 5 joined to the sides and ends of the upper "drums and to a number of small lower drums 6 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. "As shown in Figure 2 the tubes enclosing the sides of the combustion chamber are preferably arranged as double or Field tubes to increase the circulation of "the water.

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"In order to obtain a complete circulation of the water through the elements, "each of said tube elements is joined to a main junction pipe 7 (see Figures 1 "and 2). This junction pipe is joined to the main steam dome 8 by pipes 9 arranged at the sides of the boiler. One element may be completely shut off "from the others in case of the bursting of a tube or the like accident by a 15 "valve or valves arranged between each tube element adapted to be operated "by a handle or handles from the outside of the boiler.

"Inside the drums more especially the lower drums as shown in the draw"ings I arrange a semi-circular baffle 10 conveniently about half the diameter "of the drum in which it is inserted provided with a slot or slots 12 down its 20 "centre. These baffles are greatly improved by arranging on them two upright "plates such as shown at 11. This arrangement ensures an equal circulation of "the water passing through the drums, which will follow the course indicated "by the arrows and has the further advantage that a considerable amount of "the sediment which would otherwise tend to fall to the bottom of the drum 25 "will be caught and held in said baffles by the plates 11."

The first and fourth Claims were as follows:-" (1) In a water tube boiler the "combination of a plurality of elements comprised of upper and lower drums 66 joined across a flue chamber by vertical stacks of tubes and provided with "curved baffles in some or all of the drums, a furnace arranged below the 30 "lower drums and a combustion chamber arranged in a space left in the tubes "at the rear of the boiler, substantially as and for the purpose described. (4) In a boiler of the type referred to herein baffles of approximately semi-circular "form provided with central slots (with or without upright plates at the sides "of the said slots), substantially as described."

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The Complete Specification of the Patent No. 903 of 1907 contained the following passages:-"My invention relates to improvements in water tube boilers. "My invention is designed more particularly to decrease and simplify the number "of parts now necessary in that type of boiler in which the elements consisting "of upper and lower drums are joined by stacks of tubes with the furnace 40 "arranged below the lower drums and a combustion chamber arranged at the "end of the furnace so that the products of combustion pass from the furnace "through the combustion chamber to the flue chamber between the aforesaid 66 upper and lower drums and from this to the flue. This type of boiler has not "been found very practical in general use owing to the multiplicity of different 45 shaped parts and the awkward position of these parts which increase the "cost of the boiler to an extent which very largely minimises the practical 66 advantages of the boiler.

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"According to the present invention I arrange either a double ended boiler " which can be fired from either end, (or a single ended boiler), in which the 50 "products of combustion pass from the furnace into a combustion chamber "arranged at one end of the boiler. I arrange above the furnace a convenient number of water drums and fill in the spaces between said drums by brick or "other fire proof material forming the roof of the furnace. In order to separate "the lower surfaces of said drums from the open furnace while allowing the 55 gases of combustion to have access to them I arrange a perforated brick arch "carried entirely across the top of the furnace at a convenient distance under said

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Davies v. Davies' Patent Boiler Ld.

"drums. I arrange at a suitable distance above said water or lower drums one or more large upper drums connected to each water drum by suitably shaped "stacks of tubes and by a series of downcast pipes leading from the smoke box "end of the upper drum to the lower drums. At the upcast end of said upper 5" drum I arrange a baffle so formed as to direct the flow of water to the other end "of the drum while preventing the water rising into the steam space in said "drum and in said lower or water drums I arrange bottom haffles about "two-thirds of the way around the top side of the manhole and close up to the "underside of the bottom tube plates. Mud collecting drums are arranged at or below the level of the fire bars and a series of rows of tubes lead from "the bottom of the lower drums into said mud collectors. These mud collectors "form dead ends and are not in the circulation of the boiler elements.

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My invention is more particularly described with reference to the "accompanying Drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front elevation partly 15" in section of a double ended boiler with curved tubes. Figure 2 shows a "sectional side elevation on the line A-B of Figure 1

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"Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the Drawings, I arrange a double "ended boiler which can be fired from either end through the fire doors 1, the "products of combustion passing from the furnace into the combustion 20 "chamber 2 arranged at one end of the boiler, as shown in Figure 2. I arrange "above the furnace a convenient number of lower or water drums 3, said "druns being separated from the open furnace by the perforated arch 4. The perforations in said arch allow the access of the gases of combustion to the "lower surfaces of said drums. The spaces between the lower drums are 25 "filled in by brick or other suitable fireproof material forming the roof 5. At "the combustion end of said furnace I arrange in said roof 5 a series of "openings 6 (see Figure 3) between said lower water drums, through which "the products of combustion pass into the flue chamber 7. I arrange at a "suitable distance from said water drums a large upper drum 8 connected to 30 "each lower drum across said flue chamber 7 by curved stacks of tubes 9. As "has been previously suggested in boilers in which the elements have been "formed of large upper drums and small lower drums, the upper drum 8 is "large enough to allow one or more of the tubes 9 to be withdrawn into it "when it is desired. The use of large upper drums also facilitates the 35 withdrawal of a single tube from the boiler without making it necessary to "disturb the rest of the tubes.

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"In a convenient position in said flue chamber towards the combustion end "of the boiler I arrange a series of baffles 10 between each stack of tubes and on the outer sides of said tubes I arrange brick baffles 11. In this manner the 40" products of combustion passing through the openings 6 are guided by said "baffles 10 and 11 among the tubes in their passage to the smoke box 12 in the "front end of the boiler, and from the smoke box back through the flues 13 over the upper surface of the large upper drums 8 into the up-take 14 or the "down-take. The addition of side flues is very essential to many existing 45 installations of land boilers where the flues are arranged to run underground. "A perfect circulation is provided for this form of boiler by means of the "down-cast pipes 15 leading from the smoke box end of the upper drum 8 to "the lower drums and by a special arrangement of baffle plates arranged so as to direct the current of circulation. At the up-cast end of said upper drum 8 66 [ arrange a baffle 16, said baffle being of that type which is formed so as to "direct the flow of water to the other end of the drum while preventing the "water from rising into the steam space in said drum. This baffle plate 16 can "be either arranged above or below the water level. The back of this baffle plate 16 may be formed as shown as a feed water trough adapted to receive 55 the feed water through the feed water pipe 17 and may be divided into compartments or pockets 18 adapted to catch the sediment contained in the water "before it passes from the said baffle back into the lower part of said upper drum

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Davies v. Davies' Patent Boiler Ld.

"through the tube 19. The water passes from the smoke box end of said upper "drum through the above mentioned downcast pipes 15 into the ends of the "lower drums 3 where I arrange baffles 22 adapted to guide the water to the "bottom of the lower drums from whence it circulates back through the up-cast "tubes into the upper drum. In order to form a direct connection between the 5 "the lower drums we arrange the large downcomers 30.

"As shown more particularly in Figure 6 the baffles in said lower drums are "arranged about two-thirds of the way round the top side of the manhole 20 "and close up to the underside 21 of the bottom tube plates and so form a "half section of a breetches piece around said manhole, thus arranging a 10 "baffle which will convey the water to the bottom of the lower drum as "desired . .

The Patentee claimed (inter alia):-" 1. In a water tube boiler of the "character described the arrangement of a plurality of small water drums "arranged above the furnace connected by stacks of tubes and a series of 15 "downcast pipes to one or more large upper drums, a baffle arranged at the "up-cast end of said upper drum or drums and a series of baffles in said water "drums arranged around the top side of the manholes of said drums and "adapted to direct the water circulating through the down-cast pipes from said 66 upper drums to the bottom of said water drums, substantially as and for the 20 66 purpose described, 4. In a water tube boiler of the character claimed

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Davies v. Davies' Patent Boiler Ld.

"in Claim 1, the arrangement of a baffle so formed as to direct the flow of water "from the up-cast end of said upper drum to the other end of said drum "while preventing the water rising into the steam space in said drum, said "baffle being provided with a series of compartments or pockets adapted to "catch the sediment in the feed water, substantially as described with reference "to Figures 2 and 5 of the Drawings. 5. In a water tube boiler of the character "claimed in Claim 1, the arrangement of a baffle in the water drums carried "about two-thirds around the top side of the manhole and close up to the "underside of the bottom tube plates, substantially as described with reference 10" to Figures 2, 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings."

The action came on for trial before Mr. Justice SWINFEN EADY on the 29th of October 1908.

Frank Russell K.C. and E. Beaumont (instructed by Savory, Pryor, and Blagden) appeared for the Plaintiff; E. P. Hewitt (instructed by Nicholson, 15 Graham, and Beesly) appeared for the Defendants.

SWINFEN EADY J.-The first questions that I have to consider are these : Is the Patent No. 903 of 1907, of which the Plaintiff claims to be the first and true inventor, an improvement on the Patent No. 25,587 of 1903; and, whether it is an improvement or not, when was the invention made? The Defendants 20 by their Counterclaim seek to establish that, if it is an improvement on the 1903 invention, they are entitled to all foreign Patents in respect of it irrespective of the date when the invention was made; but, even if it is not an improvement, they still say it is an invention made during the period in which the Plaintiff was employed by the Premier Boiler Tubes Ld., and therefore they 25 claim the British Patent and the invention under another clause in the Agreement made between themselves and the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff by his action claims that he is entitled to the Patent of 1907 free from all claims on behalf of the Defendant Company, and he seeks an injunction to restrain the Defendants from claiming the benefit of the Patent, the reason 30 being that he is hindered in his negotiations for the disposal of the British Patent by reason of the claim set up by the Defendants.

Is the invention of 1907 an improvement on the Patent of 1903 or is it a separate and distinct invention? On that point the evidence is all one way. Mr. Davies, the Plaintiff and Patentee, pointed out the difference between the two inven35 tions stating that one invention was not an improvement on the other; he pointed out that in the 1907 Patent, the design was different from beginning to end; and then with reference to the baffles, although there are baffles in each, he pointed out that the baffles in the two Patents are quite different from one another, and that in the latter invention they serve a different purpose; then, 40 when he was pressed in cross-examination with regard to the 1907 Patent, he said that it was no improvement at all on the 1903 Patent, the boiler was differently designed from beginning to end, in fact the only common feature between them was that each was an invention with reference to water tube boilers. Mr. Sefton Jones was called by the Plaintiff. He is a Chartered 45 Patent Agent, and he acted for the Plaintiff in taking out both the 1903 Patent and the 1907 Patent. They both have reference, as he said, to water tube boilers, but the type of boiler to which the invention relates has been in existence and has been known for upwards of 20 years. In the 1903 Patent the novel element, that in his opinion made the 50 invention a patentable invention, was the presence of the curved baffles in some or all of the drums. Then he said that the Patent of 1907 is not an improvement at all on the 1903 Patent, it is an independent and separate Patent, and is an improvement on the whole class of water tube boilers; and in cross-examination he said that the Patent of 1907 was not more closely 55 related to that of 1903 than other Patents. That was the evidence for the Plaintiff. On behalf of the Defendants there was no evidence called on this point. Mr. Maconochie said quite truly that he was not an expert in the