AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING FEED WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1883

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
FEED WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS com-
municated to him from abroad by John Shurbon Clarke, Joseph Francis
Dunneback and Charles Theodore Moran all of Detroit in the county of
Wayne and State of Michigan, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M and W Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents AN
IMPROVED SELF-ACTING FEED WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR
STEAM BOILERS [communicated to him from abroad by John Shurbon Clarke,
Joseph Francis Dunneback and Charles Theodore Moran all of Detroit in the county
of Wayne and State of Michigan, United States of America]
This Invention consists of a waste pipe connected with the feed water pipe from
the pump to the boiler together with a valve to open, said pipe and allow the water
from the pump to escape when the boiler is full, and to close it, and cause the
water to enter the boiler when required, the said valve being controlled by a float
in the boiler, which float is also made to sound an alarm in case the pump injector
or inspirator fails to act and the water falls too low in the boiler. It further
consists in means for obtaining uniform pressure both internally and externally of
the float, and for keeping water from entering the float. It further consists of a
relief valve which is operated automatically by the main valve for relieving the
pressure when the main or regulating valve is closed. It further consists in means
for working an injector or inspirator for feeding the boiler.
The feed water has a branch connected to it between the pump and boiler in
which is a valve box containing a pair of valves of unequal size and steam is admitted
to this valve box from the boiler by the movement of the float which opens a

page_text: regulator valve when the water in the boiler allows the float to fall, whereupon the
steam pressing on the larger of the pair of valves in the branch closes a waste pipe
which is connected to the valve box and causes the water to be forced into the
boiler by the pump.
When the water rises in the boiler so that the float closes the
regulator valve and shuts the steam off from the valves in the branch the water
from the pump escapes through the waste pipe. A check valve located in the feed
pipe prevents the escape of water from the boiler through the waste pipe. The
main or regulator valve is balanced to make it open readily and care should be
taken to so construct it that it will not stick fast in any case, and the float rod is
connected to the valve rod of an alarm whistle so that in case the apparatus fails to
work and the water falls too low the whistle valve will be opened and an alarm
sounded.
A tubular guard extends down within the boiler to support the float rod against
lateral thrusts of the float by the waves or currents of water set in action by the
heat.
steam.
The regulator valve is arranged in a casting which is attached to the dome of
the boiler by a suitable connecting nipple on the end of the guard the nipple
having a reducer in the upper end which may have perforations for the passage of
The stem or guide of the float, consists of a tube extending from near the
bottom of the float through the upper part of the boiler and within the lower part
of the casting or regulator so that steam may freely enter the tube and pass to the
float, thereby balancing the external pressure, at the same time by the height of the
tube, water is prevented from entering, so that the float is kept dry internally at
all times
Within the body of the regulator is fitted a double poppett valve in connection
with an outlet which valve is raised at the upward movement of the main or
regulator valve or valves so as to let out the steam and immediately relieve the
pressure in the branch pipe running from the regulator the regülatör valves being
so shaped that they will first close and then move far enough to open the poppett
valve.
The upper of the pair of balanced regulator valves is slightly larger in area than
the lower one, so as to keep the float submerged below its buoyancy line, and in
that way the float is given a constant tendency upward thereby insuring a more
positive action. This also affords the advantage that in case the float should
be injured the over pressure on the upper valve would cause the alarm to sound.
Another arrangement more especially designed for locomotives but which may
be used for stationary boilers, and for starting pumps consists of an injector con-
nected with the water supply pipe and provided with an overflow pipe that leads
to a vertical cylinder containing a piston onto which the overflow water flows
and by its weight depresses the piston. This piston is connected with,
whereby the overflow is opened and closed. A check valve is fitted in the pipe
that leads from the injector to the boiler, and the stem of the valve is arranged to
act a lever to the rod of the overflow water piston.
The operation is as follows:
a lever
As soon as the water lowers in the boiler, the double valves of the regulator
open allowing the steam to pass to the inspirator or injector which is thereby
started the overflow water therefrom flowing onto the piston in the cylinder. When
the piston is sufficiently loaded it closes the overflow valve.
The water then passes into the boiler feed pipe lifting the check valve which
throws a pawl and ratchet arrangement into gear in such manner that when the
flow of water stops, the check valve in closing raises the overflow water piston,
opens the overflow and at same time the pawl is disengaged leaving the overflow
water piston free to be acted upon again by the overflow

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1883.
t
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark, of 53 Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "AN
IMPROVED SELF-ACTING FEED-WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR
STEAM BOILERS
A communication to me from abroad by John Shurbon Clarke,
Joseph Francis Dunneback and Charles Theodore Moran, all of Detroit, in the
County of Wayne and State of Michigan, United States of America.
,,
This Invention consists of a waste pipe connected with the feed water pipe from
the pump to the boiler, together with a valve to open said pipe and allow the
water from the pump to escape when the boiler is full, and to close it, and cause
the water to enter the boiler when required, the said valve being controlled by a
float in the boiler, which float is also made to cause a whistle to sound an alarm in
case the pump injector or inspirator fails to act and the water falls too low in the
boiler.
It further consists in means for obtaining uniform pressure, both internally and
externally of the float, and for keeping water from entering the float. It further
consists of a relief valve, which is operated automatically by the main valve, for
relieving the pressure when the main or regulating valve is closed. It further
consists in means for working an injector or inspirator for feeding the boiler.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved apparatus. Figure 2 is a detail
section of the relief valve. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the arrange-
ment of the apparatus for use upon a locomotive or other boiler for starting an
injector or pump. Figure shows the relief valve separately.
The feed water pipe a' leading from the pump (not shown) to the boiler, to
which it is to be connected at any approved part has a branch c' connected to it
between the pump and the boiler, with a double valve d, e, in it, to the part e!, of
which steam is to be admitted from the boiler through pipe d, by a float B and
valve F. When the water in the boiler allows the float to fall the steam pressing
on part e' (which is larger than part d' which controls the waste passage) will close
the waste pipe, and by the greater pressure on said part e¹ will cause the water to
be forced into the boiler by the pump. When the water rises in the boiler so that
float B will close valve F and shut the steam off from valve e' the water from the
pump will escape through the waste pipe c". A check valve located in pipe a¹
prevents the escape of water from the boiler through the waste pipe.
The valve F is balanced to make it open readily and care is to be taken to so
construct it that it will not stick fast in any case, and the float rod is to be con-
nected to the valve rod of an alarm whistle, so that in case the apparatus fails
to work and the water falls too low the whistle valve will be opened and the alarm
sounded. N represents a tubular guard extending down within the boiler to
support the float rod against lateral thrusts of the float by the waves or currents of
water set in action by the heat.
The valve F is arranged in the casting A which is attached to the dome of the
boiler by any suitable connecting nipple q' on the end of the guard N the nipple
having a reducer 8' in the upper end which may have perforations t¹ for the passage
of steam. E is the stem or guide of the float, consisting of a tube extending from.
near the bottom of the float through the upper part of the boiler and within the

page_text: '
lower part of the regulator A so that steam may freely enter the tube and pass to
the float thereby balancing the external pressure; at the same time by the height
of the tube, water is prevented from entering, so that the float is kept dry
internally at all times. The float B may be of spherical, elliptic. or other form.
Within the body A of the regulator is fitted a double poppett valve a in con-
nection with an outlet b that allows escape of steam when the double valve is
raised The valve a is raised at the upward movement of the main valve F, by
engagement of the upper valve therewith, so as to let out the steam and immediately
' relieve the pressure in the pipe running from the regulator. The valves F, are
shaped as shown so that they will first close and then move far enough to open the
valve a. The upper valve is slightly larger in area than the lower one, so as to
keep the float submerged below its buoyancy line, and in that way the float is
given a constant tendency upward thereby insuring a more positive action. This
also affords the advantage that in case the float should be injured the over pressure
on the upper valve would cause the alarm to sound.
Figure 3 represents another arrangement more especially designed for locomotives
but which may be used for stationary boilers and for starting pumps. It consists
of an injector D connected with the water supply pipe a² and provided with an
overflow pipe h that leads to a vertical cylinder i containing a piston konto
which the overflow water flows and by its weight depresses the piston. This piston
is connected by a rod k with a lever whereby the overflow is opened and closed.
A check valve m is fitted in the pipe g that leads from the injector to the boiler
the stem of which valve passes through the underside of the pipe and is connected
by a lever n to the rod of the overflow piston k
The operation is as follows: As soon as the water lowers in the boiler, the double
valves of the regulator open allowing the steam to pass to the inspirator or injector
which is thereby started, the overflow water therefrom flowing onto and depressing
the piston k in the cylinder i thereby pulling the lever l of the inspirator down and
closing the overflow valve.
The water then passes into the boiler feed pipe g, lifting the check valve m and
depressing the end of the lever n, which is provided with a pawl n¹ engaging with
teeth on the piston rod k so that when the current of water breaks, the steam
pressure on valve m'forces the valve down and by the lever n the piston k and
rod are lifted, and this at the same time lifts the lever 1, and the pawl n' is
tripped leaving the piston k free to be acted upon again by the overflow.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is:
1st. The combination of the float B balanced valve F, double valve d¹ e¹, steam
pipe d, feed water pipe a¹ and the waste pipe c", substantially as described.
24. The combination with the feed water pipe a boiler steam pipe d'and
waste pipe c" of the connected valves d', e¹ arranged as and for the purposes
specified.
3. The combination with the boiler dome of the nipple q¹ having guard N-and
perforated reducer g¹ as shown and described.
4th. In a boiler feed water apparatus the combination with the boiler the steam
regulator, and the feed water pipe of the injector or inspirator, having an over-flow
outlet with its valve adapted to be closed by the action of the overflow water after
leaving the overflow outlet to cause the feeding of the water to the boiler, substan-
tially as set forth.
5th. In a boiler feed water apparatus the combination with the boiler the steam
regulator and the feed water pipe of the injector or inspirator having an overflow
outlet with its valve connected to a piston rod also connected to a valve in the feed
water pipe, the piston being acted upon by the overflow water, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
6th The combination of the injector D, overflow h, cylinder i levers l, n,

page_text: piston k and its rod k¹, pipe g, and valve m, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
7th. The combination of the injector D, overflow h, cylinder i levers l, n, the latter
having the pawl n', piston k and its rod k', pipe g, and valve m substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
8th. The relief valve a combined with the regulator and fitted for operation by
the main valves F, substantially as described.
9th. The regulator valves F of the form shown and the double valve a combined
for operation as specified.
10th. The combination of the injector D the overflow h the cylinder i, levers n, l,
and valve m, substantially as described for operation in the manner specified.
11. The combination and arrangement, substantially as described of the hollow
tube E, with the float B, for equalizing the pressure and admitting only dry steam
to the float.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty third day of October A.D. 1883.
•
A
M CLARK