NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND THE FLOW OF CONDENSED STEAM
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers,
.9
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND THE
FLOW OF CONDENSED STEAM." -A communication from abroad by
Alphonse Coignet. of Paris, in the Republic of France.
ealed the 23rd April 1875, and dated the 15th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th December 1874.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF
STEAM AND THE FLOW OF CONDENSED STEAM," a communication, to me from
abroad by Alphonse Coignet, of Paris, in the Republic of France,) to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object arrangements of regulators in-
tended,―

page_text: it at a constant pressure, giving a determinate degree of heat, which
will afford considerable advantages to certain manufactures, such as
dyeing, sugar refining, &c.
Secondly. To regulate the flow or escape of condensed steam so that
a considerable economy of fuel is effected, and the use of escape cocks,
which give rise to numerous accidents unless great care is exercised, is
dispensed with, and to regulate more perfectly the use of waste steam as
a source of heat.
The first part of this Invention is accomplished by means of an
apparatus which is constructed with a cast-iron vessel partly filled with
quicksilver, and having three tubes leading from it upwards, the central
one of which reaches below the level of the quicksilver, so as nearly to
touch the bottom of the vessel. Above the central tube is fixed at a
certain height a pipe of larger diameter, in which a float moves. On
this larger pipe is fitted cast metal receiver, containing a bell of the
same metal, situated above two lateral openings formed in the pipe. The
bottom of the receiver is connected by one of the tubes with the vessel
containing quicksilver. Above the central pipe in which the float
works, and at right angles to it, the steam service pipe runs. Behind
the ordinary service cock an equilibrium valve cock is placed, actuated
by the float through suitable connections. In the service pipe, on the
opposite side to the equilibrium valve cock of the float, a cylindrical
chamber is formed, provided with a gauge, by which the pressure of the
steam in the service pipe may be ascertained. One of the side tubes
fixed in the top of the vessel containing mercury communicates with
the bottom of the cylindrical vessel, and is provided with a three-way
cock, by means of which a portion of the steam in the service pipe may
be allowed to penetrate into the vessel containing quicksilver, and by
its variation of pressure cause the mercury either to rise or fall in the
central pipe, carrying with it the float which actuates the equilibrium
valves.
The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows:-
:-When
the service cock is open the equilibrium valve cock is wide open, and the
steam penetrates directly into the apparatus where it is intended to be
employed, as well as into the vessel containing quicksilver, by means of
the pipe leading to it from the cylindrical vessel, the three-way cock of
which pipe has been previously opened. The quicksilver then rises in

page_text: the central tube under the influence of the pressure of the steam, and.
raising the float causes the equilibrium valve to close when the steam
acquires more than a given amount of pressure. Thus the equilibrium
of pressure is established in a definitive and absolute manner.
If the
service cock through any accident permitted the steam to circulate too
freely the quicksilver might be pushed up in the tube with excessive.
force, but in this case the quicksilver would escapo by the openings
situated in the pipe below the bell, by which it would be thrown back.
into the cast metal receiver, the bottom of which communicates with
the vessel containing quicksilver by means of the third tube fitted into:
its upper end, and which is also provided with a cock.
This apparatus may be advantageously employed as a feeder of boiling
water, of water under pressure, or of steam at a constant
pressure. This
feeder would consist of a self regulator fed with water at a constant
level by a pump. The water would be heated, and the regulator would
control the steam pipe communicating with the heater (barboteur). A
supply of water under pressure could thus be employed, by means of a
service pipe of sufficient size, either to impel the water under pressure.
into apparatus having a less pressure, or to distribute the boiling water
into each shop, or otherwise. If the supply is taken from the dome or
main of the apparatus, steam under constant pressure can be distributed
for such uses as the dessication of paper pulp, evaporation in vacuo, or
other operation with a constant pressure.
The second part of this Invention has for its object the regulation of
the escape of condensed steam, which is accomplished by means of an:
apparatus composed of a cylindrical digester of cast metal having a man-
hole at its upper part. At the top and at the sides of this digestor there
is or are fitted one or more induction tubes furnished with cocks, and
serving to introduce the condensed steam. Below the centre of the
digester a cast metal box is fitted enclosing equilibrium valves. The lower-
part of this valve box is terminated by a cast fitting, which serves as
an escape pipe to the water of condensation. In the cylindrical digestor
a hollow float moves, traversed vertically by a rod to which it is fixed.
The upper part of this rod works in a guide fitted to the digestor, whilst
its lower part is fastened to the equilibrium valves. The water of con-
densation, as well as a certain quantity of uncondensed steam, penetrates
into the digestor by the induction tube or tubes placed near its upper

page_text: part. When the quantity of water increases the float by virtue of its
difference of density rises, thereby opening the equilibrium valves, and
allowing a certain quantity of water to escape. When the height of the
water diminishes the float descends, closing the equilibrium valves, and
it is only after the arrival of a fresh quantity of water that it again rises,
allowing the escape of a fresh quantity of liquid. The same regulator
may be used for several apparatus, connected together or separate. It is
placed lower than the apparatus in which the steam circulates, care being
taken to keep a slight incline in the tubes, so that the water always
naturally tends to gain the escape regulator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 26th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Lloyd Wise, Her
special license, that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Lloyd Wise, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE
OF STEAM AND THE FLOW OF CONDENSED STEAM," (a communication to me
from abroad by Alphonse Coignet, of Paris, in the Republic of France,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Lloyd
Wise, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly

page_text: preceded by an ordinary service cock R¹ placed in the steam service
pipe. In the service pipe on the opposite side of the equilibrium valve
arrangement R. an enlarged cylindrical chamber C is formed provided
with a gauge M, which is in communication with the pipe conveying
steam to the place where it is required at a constant pressure. By this
gauge the pressure of the regulated steam may be ascertained. From
the lower part of the enlarged cylindrical chamber C descends a tube f¹
furnished with a three-way cock r, which allows the regulated steam
to pass into the vessel B and to act on the quicksilver, causing it to raise
or lower the float which controls the equilibrium valve arrangement.
The apparatus thus arranged works in the following manner:-If the
service cock R¹ is opened, the equilibrium valves being wide open, steam
passes directly into the apparatus where it is intended to be employed, as
well as into the vessel B containing quicksilver by means of the pipe t¹,
the tap of which has been previously opened. The quicksilver then
rises into the tube T under the influence of the pressure of steam,
raising the float F, and causing the valves a, a¹, to close as needed to
maintain the required regulated pressure. Thus the equilibrium of
pressure is established in a definitive and absolute manner. If the
regulating valve arrangement R through any accident should permit the
steam to circulate too freely, the steam being in excess would drive the
quicksilver up in the tube T with great force, but in this case the quick-
silver would escape by the openings D into the vessel V, whence it can
be returned to the vessel B by the pipe " by opening the tap r¹.
This apparatus may be advantageously employed as a feeder of boiling
water, of water under pressure, or of steam at a constant pressure.
This feeder should consist of a digester (autoclave) fed by water to a
constant level by a pump. The water should be heated by a heater
(barboteur), and the regulator should control the steam pipe communi-
cating with the heater (barboteur). A take of water under pressure
would thus enable me, by means of a conduit of sufficient force, either
to impel this water under pressure into apparatus having a less pressure,
or to distribute the boiling water into each shop or room. If the take is
effected on the dome of the digester (autoclave), steam under constant
pressure can be distributed for various uses, such as dessication of paper
pulp, evaporation in vacuo, or other operation requiring a constant
pressure.

page_text: Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings represent respectively in vertical
section, elevation, and plan the regulator of the condensed steam escape
constituting the second part of the Invention.
This apparatus is composed of a cylindrical cast-iron vessel a, having a
man-hole b at its upper part. At the upper part of the side of the
vessel a there is or are one or more cast nozzles or inlets serving to
introduce the condensed steam. Below the centre of the vessel is fitted
a cast metal box d enclosing an equilibrium valve arrangement, having
two valves e, e¹. The lower part of this valve box is terminated by a
cast fitting F, which serves as an escape pipe to the water arising
from the condensation of the steam. In the cylindrical vessel a moves
a hollow iron float c, traversed vertically by a metal rod to which it is
fixed. The upper part of this rod works in a guide fitted to the vessel a,
whilst its lower part is fastened to the equilibrium valve. The water of
condensation and a certain quantity of uncondensed steam enter the
vessel a by the tube or tubes G situated near its upper part. According
as the quantity of water increases the float c by virtue of its difference
of density rises, drawing with it the valves e, e', which permit the
expulsion of a certain quantity of water. When the height of water
diminishes the float descends, closing the valves, and it is only after the
arrival of a fresh quantity of water that the float c again rises, and by
opening the valve e' gives passage to a fresh quantity of liquid. The
same regulator may be used for several apparatus connected together or
separate. It is placed lower than the apparatus in which the steam
circulates, care being taken to keep a slight incline in the tubes, so that
the water always naturally tends to gain the escape regulator.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect, as communicated to
me as aforesaid, I claim,―
First. The combination and special arrangement of parts forming the
pressure regulator, shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3,
and 4, based on the employment of a steam gauge open to the air acting
by a float on an equilibrium valve arrangement controlling the flow of
the steam in the service pipe.
Secondly. The employment of this regulator as a feeder of water
under pressure, of boiling water, and of steam under a constant

page_text: Thirdly. The arrangement and particular construction of the con-
densed steam regulator, described and illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
W. LLOYD WISE. (L.S.)