IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE DRAUGHT IN STEAM-BOILER FURNACES
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE
DRAUGHT IN STEAM-BOILER FURNACES." A communication from abroad by
Daniel C. Kellem, of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1879.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE DRAUGHT IN STEAM-BOILER FURNACES." [A communication
from abroad by Daniel C. Kellem, of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of devices chiefly
designed for regulating the dampers of boiler-furnaces by means of the steam
pressure in the boilers, thus regulating the draught.
In carrying the said Invention into practice 1 provide a hollow cylindrical piston
terminating at its lower end in a threaded pipe, by means of which the device is
screwed into the dome, safety-valve, or steam space of a steam-generator. This
pipe affords communication between the interior of the boiler and a chamber in the
bottom or lower end of the said hollow or steam-cylinder piston. Above this
chamber the said piston is solid for a short distance except small ports, which allow
the steam to pass from the chamber into the hollow piston proper. A valve is
seated in the said chamber to cut off or admit a flow of steam through the said
threaded pipe, the stem of said valve having a vertical throw or play in a corre-
spondingly shaped hole drilled into the solid part of the piston between the said
small ports. Sleeved on said solid part of the hollow piston is a ring, to which are
secured ears in which is fulcrumed a lever which passes through a slot above the
end of the valve stem. Adjustably secured upon this lever there are weights. To
the upper end of this hollow piston there is secured a cap terminating in a tube.
The said cap is provided with a number of small ports or openings which allow the
steam to pass into a chamber which is formed by another cap which screws to the

page_text: top of a cylinder which encloses said hollow piston, the said piston and cylinder
being so arranged as to be steam tight except through the ports hereinbefore
mentioned. From the top of the said cylinder there is suspended a guide rod
which passes down through a tube-extension of the first named cap.
An outer cylinder is provided enclosing the first named cylinder, and sufficiently
large to leave a dead-air space between the two cylinders for the purpose of
preventing a too rapid condensation of steam, as would be the case if the inner
cylinder were not thus enclosed. This outer cylinder has an inwardly projecting
flange at the top, and rests upon an outwardly-projecting flange of the cap screwed
to the inner cylinder, and the lower end of this outer cylinder rests against an
outwardly-projecting flange around the bottom of the inner cylinder.
In practice the pressure of steam in the boiler being required to be kept at a
uniform height, weights on the said lever are so balanced that an excess of such
pressure acting upon the valve in the said chamber in the lower end of the hollow
piston will cause its stem to raise the longer arm of the lever, allowing the steam to
pass into the hollow piston through the small ports and out of the same through
the ports in the cap into the chamber, which is formed by the cap on the inner
cylinder exerting its pressure upon this cap, thereby raising the inner cylinder with
its outer cylinder, and slacking upon a chain which passes over pulleys to the crank
shaft of the damper in the smoke-stack or chimney. The greater the pressure of
steam the higher within its limits will the cylinders be forced up until the damper
is entirely closed, thereby checking the fire in the furnace until the steam is reduced
to the proper pressure. When this is attained the weight of the cylinders will
overcome the friction between the hollow piston and the inner cylinder and fall to
their original position, allowing the lever to depress the valve stem and close the
opening through the threaded tube, the damper opening gradually as the cylinders
fall. The steam left in the inner cylinder will gradually condense, and the water
of condensation will pass out between the bottom of the cylinder and the piston by
its own gravity. Although described as acting upon the damper in a smoke-flue
the said Invention may be employed with suitable connections to act upon the door
in the ash-pit of the furnace to keep the pressure of steam within the given limit.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
December 1879.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE DRAUGHT IN STEAM-BOILER FURNACES." A. communication
from abroad by Daniel C. Kellem, of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of devices for
regulating the dampers of boiler-furnaces by means of the steam-pressure in the
boilers.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the said Invention applied to
tne damper-valve in a chimney or smoke stack.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of part of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional perspective view of a hollow piston and cylinder.
Figure 4 is a horizontal-section on the line x, x, Figure 2, drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a ring to which are attached ears that form the
fulcrum of a lever hereinafter described.
A represents a hollow cylindrical piston terminating at its lower end in a screw
threaded pipe B, by means of which the device is screwed into the dome, safety-
valve, or steam-chest of a steam generator. This pipe B affords communication
between the interior of the boiler and the chamber « in the bottom or lower end of
the steam-cylinder piston A. Above the chamber a this piston is solid for a short
distance, as shewn in Figure 2, except the small ports b, which allow the steam to
pass from the chamber a into the hollow piston proper. A valve C is seated in the
chamber a to cut off or admit a flow of steam through the pipe B, the stem of said
valve having a vertical throw or play in a correspondingly shaped hole drilled into
the solid part of the piston between the ports b. Sleeved on said solid part of the
hollow piston is a ring D, to which are secured the cars c in which is fulcrumed the
lever E which passes through the slot d above the end of the valve-stem. Adjustably
secured upon this lever are the weights h. To the upper end of this hollow piston
there is secured the cap F terminating in the tube G.
The cap is provided with a number of small ports or openings i which allow the
steam to pass into the chamber k formed by the cap H which screws on the top of
the cylinder I which encloses said hollow piston, the said piston and cylinder being
BO arranged as to be steam-tight except through the ports herein before mentioned.
From the top of the cap H there is suspended a guide rod K which passes down
through the tube extension G of the cap F.
L is an outer cylinder enclosing the cylinder I, and sufficiently large to leave a
dead-air space between the two cylinders for the purpose of preventing a too rapid
condensation of steam, as would be the case if the cylinder I were not thus enclosed.
This outer cylinder has an inwardly projecting-flange at the top and rests upon the
outwardly projecting flange n of the cap H, and the lower end of this cylinder
rests against the outwardly-projecting flange m around the bottom of the cylinder I.
In practice the pressure of steam in the boiler being required to be kept at a
uniform height the weights on the lever are so balanced that an excess of such
pressure acting upon the valve in the chamber a will cause its stem to raise the
longer arm of the lever, allowing the steam to pass into the hollow piston through
the ports b, and out of the same through the ports i into the chamber k, exerting
its pressure upon the cap H, thereby raising the cylinder I with its outer cylinder L
and slackening the chain M which passes over the pulleys N to the crank-shaft O
of the damper P in the smoke-stack R. The greater the pressure of steam the
higher within their limit will the cylinders be forced up until the damper is entirely

page_text: closed, thereby checking the fire in the furnace until the steam is reduced to the
proper pressure. When this is attained the weight of the cylinders will overcome
the friction between the hollow piston and the cylinder I, and the cylinders fall to
their original position, allowing the lever to depress the valve-stein and close the
opening through the tube B, the damper opening gradually as the cylinders fall.
The steam left in the cylinder I will gradually condense, and the water of conden-
sation will pass out between the bottom of the cylinder and the piston by its own
gravity.
Although I have herein particularly described the said Invention as acting upon
the damper in a smoke-flue it may be employed with suitable connections to act
upon the door in the ash-pit of the furnace to keep the pressure of steam within
the given limit.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a damper-regulating apparatus a pipe communicating with a steam-
generator and provided with a valve and hollow piston, having ports b affording
communication for the steam to pass into the said hollow piston, the movement of
the said valve being controlled by the weighted lever, substantially as described.
Second. In a damper-regulating apparatus the combination of the hollow piston
into which steam is admitted, the cylinder and cap, the chamber k, and the ports i
through which steam is admitted from the hollow piston into the said chamber,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In a damper-regulating apparatus the combination of the cap of the
cylinder and the guide-rod passing through the tube-extension of the cap of the
hollow piston A, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. In a damper-regulating apparatus the outer cylinder in combination
with the cylinder I and its cap, and with the hollow piston, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. A damper-regulating apparatus consisting of the hollow piston, the pipe B,
the chamber a enclosing a valve, the ports b, the ring D provided with lugs or ears,
the lever E fulcrumed thereto, the cap, the tubular extension, the cylinder I, the
chamber k, the ports i, the guide-rod, and the incasing-cylinder L, all constructed,
combined, and operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.