564 TRANSACTIONS OF TDE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



bers, and serving the double purpose of holding the caps to their 

 places, and the series of pipes in their order. 



The interior of these pipes or cells, Fig. 2, A, are divided verti- 

 cally by a diaphragm, so as to form an inner cell, as seen in sec- 

 tions at B, and are so constructed that while the lower part is 

 below the fire-grate, the upper part is above the water level. As 

 will be seen by the view in section, they are so divided that a thin 

 film of water is presented to the action of the fire, and is almost 

 immediately converted into dry steam, and passing into the pipe 

 D, Fig. 1, is there mingled with the saturated steam of the boiler. 

 As the film of water nearest to the fire is evaporated, it is fed or 

 supplied with water from the other divisions of the tube formed 

 by the diaphragm. These divisions are kept supplied with the 

 requisite amount of water by the pipe E. The cylindrical boiler 

 is also supplied through the extension, G, of the same pipe. By 

 means of globe valves, conveniently placed, the feed water can be 

 shut ofi'from the boiler or from the vertical pipe, as maybe desired. 



One section consists of nine pipes, each eight inches in diameter. 

 When set between two boilers they form the partition walls, and 

 no heat is lost by burning out fire brick, no clinkers are formed, 

 nor need they ever be replaced, as the fire has no influence on 

 them, water being always in contact with the metal. These sec- 

 tions are substantial, safe and durable ; my aim being to present 

 to owners of steam boilers an improvement not liable to repairs, 

 and consequent stoppages, knowing that an improvement which, 

 under all circumstances, will refund its cost, by saving of fuel, in 

 six months, will be of financial value to them. One section or 

 partition weighs, on an average, 4,500 pounds, and every section 

 is subjected to a pressure of 200 pounds to the square inch before 

 leaving the works. 



For steamboats on the western rivers these steam fire boxes are 

 of great value, first, in doubling their steam capacity, and second, 

 as the bottom of the boxes are below the grate, and thirty inches 

 belov/ the bottom of the boiler, all sediments which would form 

 incrustations over the most valuable heating surface is drawn into 

 the boxes, from whence it is blown, as often as required, by open- 

 ing the blow-ofi" valve E. Each one of the pipes in the steam fire 

 boxes is a comiilete steam boiler, containing its thin film of water 

 near the fire ascending, its larger water reservoir not exposed to 

 the fire descending, and sufficient steam room to make perfectly 

 dry steam. 



