Patent GB-191400897-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Systems of and Apparatus for Washing and Refilling Locomotive Boilers.
Inventor: GROOM JOSEPH
IPC: B61C8/00
Filed: 1914-01-12
Granted: 1915-01-07
Abstract: 897. Groom, J., and Lewers, W. H. Jan. 12. Emptying; washing-out; filling.-Apparatus for emptying, washing-out, and refilling locomotive boilers, of the kind described in Specification 14,840/08, modified so as to use only one pump, one tank, and one pipe-line, is provided with automatic means to stop the pump when blow-out water is passing to the washing- water storage tank and with other automatic means to prevent the pump from delivering water to this tank and also to prevent the stoppage of the pump by the first means when it is delivering water. The second means also prevents water from the pump from operating the flop-valve. Automatic means are also provided to obviate the necessity of frequent stoppage of the pump during washing-out. A tank is provided, divided into filling and wash-out water compartments 2, 3 which are connected through pipes 5, 6 controlled by hand-operated valves with the suction side of the pump 4. Alternatively, separate wash - out and filling water tanks may be used. From the main pipeline 12, valved drop-pipes 9 lead to the separate engine-pits, and this pipe-line leads to a separator 13, a flop-valve 14 being interposed connected with a valve 16 in the cold-water supply pipe of the filling-water heater 18, to which blow-out steam from the separator is led by a pipe 19. The separator and the heater supply the wash-out and filling water-tanks respectively. The heater has a vent 48 opening to the atmosphere. The discharge side of the pump is connected by a pipe 22 to the main pipe beyond the flop-valve, and a valve 25 is provided in the pipe 22, operating a valve 23 in the main pipe so as to shut the flop-valve off when the pump is in action. The flop-valve is connected to a valve 27 in the steam-supply pipe of the pump so as to stop the pump when a boiler is discharging. If the pump is working when all the pipes 9 are closed, a relief-valve 29 on the pipe 22 opens, allowing water to pass to the wash-out compartment. Valved pipes may supply steam from the pump exhaust pipe to the compartments 2, 3 and the heater, and from the supply-pipe to the compartments 2, 3. Live steam may also be passed to the heater. Cold-water supply-pipes 44, 45, with float-operated valves, maintain the water-level in the compartments. The pump suction-pipe is connected through a hand-operated valve with the cold-water main so that the washing-water may be tempered. A port in the partition 1 of the tank and an overflow 54 at a lower level are provided, the latter leading to the sewer pipe. Valve-controlled drain pipes lead from the tank compartments and it may be from the separator 13, to the sewer pipe. Valved pipes 61, 62 may lead from the discharge pipe 22 to the tank compartments, and a valve 60 may also be provided in the discharge pipe so that circulation may be kept up in either compartment, to which the exhaust steam may also be supplied. In the cold-water supply pipe 17 of the heater, a valve 66 operated by a float in the filling-water compartment may be provided.