Specification of Arthur Woolf : steam and other boilers.

  • Woolf, Arthur.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Arthur Woolf : steam and other boilers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Woolf s Improved Apparatus for Converting Water, <Sfc. into Steam, Another important use to which my Invention can be applied with better effect than the means now in use, is that of distillation on the large scale, and that by either sending the steam directly into and among the contents of the still or alembic, or by inclosing the still in another vessel, and making the 5 steam of a high temperature to circulate in and to occupy the space beween the exterior surface of the still and the interior surface of the containing vessels In either case all danger of burning or singeing the materials operated upon is done away, and a much more pleasant and pure spirit will be obtained than by the methods now in common use. I need not stop here to shew the 10 reason why even in the case of throwing the steam directly into the still, the spirituous part will be the first to rise and pass over into the receiver. I might mention many other useful applications that may be made of my Invention, but I shall only state one more; namely, to the drying of gunpowder, and lessening the danger of explosions in the manufacture of that article. By means of my 15 Invention, any desired temperature necessary for that purpose may be produced where the powder is to be dried, without the necessity of having fire in or so near the place as to endanger its safety; for by employing steam only, conveyed through pipes and properly applied and directed, without allowing any of it to escape into the room or apartment where the powder is, any competent workman 20 can produce a heat equal to that found necessary for drying gunpowder, or much higher if required. Nor is the lessening of the danger of explosions the only advantage which this way of drying gunpowder holds out; it presents another, and an essential one for the goodness of the article; the heat can be completely regulated so as to prevent or at least lessen the partial decomposition of the 25 powder by the sublimation of the sulphur, which is found to take place by the methods at present in use. In every case, I use one or more safety valves in my apparatus, to prevent the danger of explosions from the force of the con¬ tained steam, and when necessary to regulate its temperature. Besides such valves as I have just mentioned, when the steam is intended to be passed into 30 a secondary boiler, I sometimes introduce another valve, which I shall now describe, to regulate the degree of elastic force which the steam must acquire before it can escape from the primary boiler. Fig. 16 represents a section of the main cylinder of one of my boilers, and the valve which with its appen¬ dages regulates the elastic force of the steam. A is the main cylinder; 35 B, B, the neck or outlet for the steam, surmounted by the steam box C, which is joined with the neck B, B, by flanges a, a, or in any other workman¬ like manner. The top or cover of C, marked with the letter D, which is also made secure by a flange or by any other proper means, has a hole through it,