Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 12th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th July, 1888
I, REGINALD WALTER HEWETT Manufacturer 196 Soho Hill Handsworth in the
County of Staffordshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object a new and improved device for supplying feed
water to boilers, and thereby utilizing the greater part of the heat from the flues of
the boiler or from the exhaust steam which is issuing from an engine working in
connection therewith.
In carrying my invention into effect I arrange a pipe or series of pipes in such a
manner that the exhaust current of air which is coming from the flue or flues of
boiler passes through the same; and around this tube or tubes 1 arrange an outer
tube or tubes, that is to say I have one tube inside the other. The inner tube
receives the air and the outer one the water which is to feed the boiler.
I construct and arrange the outer tubes containing the water, so that the hot
portions shall be as it were separated automatically from the colder portion's; by
means of a series of one-way or check valves arranged at short intervals in the
outer tube, which will allow the water to pass through in the direction towards
the boiler, but will not allow it to pass back or from the boiler; by this method
I am enabled to keep the different portions of the water at different temperatures,
varying with the temperature of the air or issuing gases within the inner tube.
Thus the water will not be in circulation right through the tube or tubes, but
only within the portion divided off by the check valves and the pump or other
appliance which I employ to force the water through the tubes into the boiler will
be working to the best advantage as it will be only pumping water at a temperature
due to the well or source of supply from which the feed water may be drawn. That
is to say 1 am enabled to supply the water at a temperature which is increasing all
the way from the pump to the point at which it enters the boiler, at which point it
receives the full value of the issuing exhaust hot current of air or gases.

page_text: Of course it must be understood that 1 do not define the temperature at which the
water is supplied to the boiler, but it is however supplied greatly superheated, owing
to the first portion; or divisions made by the check valves receiving the full amount
or value from the hot gases or air issuing from the flues-rather than allowing this
temperature from the gases to be averaged over the whole length of tube surface
which would be the case were my system of check valves not employed.
When applying my invention to work in connection with the exhaust steam I
adopt the same arrangement of tubes and valves, and allow the steam to pass through
the inner tubes and the water in the outer ones as before described when the issuing
air from the flues is employed.
Dated this Twelfth day of August 1887.

page_text: Improved Method of and Means for Heating Feed Water for Steam
Generators.
I REGINALD WALTER HEWETT of 196 Soho Hill Handsworth in the County of
Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object a new or improved device for supplying feed water
to steam boilers whereby I utilize a greater part of the heat and thereby causing a
great economy in steam generators, and feed water thus supplied viz. with about the
same temperature as that within the boiler obviates the dangers of sudden contraction
and expansion too often common in the present system and also causes less incrustation
on the heating surface which is the cause of numerous explosions.
In carrying my invention into effect I arrange a pipe or pipes in such a manner
within a suitable casing that the gases from combustion, which come from the flue or
flues of the boiler pass through them and around the tube or tubes I arrange an outer
tube i.e. I have one tube inside the other. The inner tube receives the hot gasses
from combustion and the outer one the cold feed water which is destined to feed the
boiler. This outer tube is constructed so that the hottest portion will be separated
automatically from the colder portion by means of a series of divisions and small holes
or I might use check valves arranged at short intervals in the outer tube which will
allow the water to pass through in the direction of the boiler and not from it although
the hot gasses continually come from the boiler and will not come back as will be
understood, by this method I am enabled to keep the different portions of the water
at different temperatures varying of course with the temperature of the issuing gases
within the inner tube. It will be seen that the feed water will thus be not in
continual circulation throughout the tube or tubes but only within each separate
portion divided by the aforesaid division or check valves, and the pump or other
appliance for feeding will thus be working to the best advantage as it will be only
pumping water at a temperature due to the well or source of supply from which the
feed water is drawn and this temperature will increase all the way from the pump to
the point at which it enters the boiler where it receives the full power of the issuing
gases. I may in some cases of course supply the water to this feeder in a slightly
heated condition but when it reaches the boiler through this heater it would be
greatly superheated owing to the first portion or division made aforesaid receiving
the full amount or power of the hot gases from the flues rather than in the present
arrangement of such water heaters for the hot gases to be allowed the whole length of
the tube surface.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I have appended
hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which
Figure 1 is a broken sectional side elevation.
Figure 2 is a front view and
Figure 3 is a section through the line 1. 2. looking to the left hand. The letters of
reference are the same upon all figures.

page_text: A is the inner tube containing the hot gases from the combustion chamber or
chambers of any kind of boiler B for the purpose of heating the feed water contained
in the outer tube C which is generally made in two halves and bolted together, after
the divisions c¹ and check valves are fitted, by means of the flanges and c and
preferably concave in shape for obvious reasons but it could be made of any desired
shape. Dis the inlet for the feed water from either the pump or other source of
supply or another heater and E is the exit for the same into the boiler and this is
fitted with a check valve e¹.
The action is as follows:-the cold water we will suppose is coming direct from the
pump or other source of supply in the direction of the arrows and this cold water
cannot go farther than the division plate c¹ (No. 1) until it is heated sufficiently and
thus rising the check valve c³ in the top of the tube because as this water is raised in
temperature it continually rises as explained to make room for the incoming cold
water and this heated water of course passes through the check valve c³ and then falls
to the bottom of the next compartment owing to the water being lower in temperature
and to the division plate c¹ (No. 2). and when heated to the higher temperature passes
through the next check valve as before explained and this action is repeated until at
last it reaches the boiler Band is discharged into the same through the exit E in a
greatly superheated condition because the last division is very much hotter than any
other part of the heater. In some cases when the feed water is supplied faster than
the gases can raise it to such a high temperature or when it is not above atmospheric
pressure it will not be in a superheated condition, and again in some instances where
the water is not being pumped fast enough the heater would be ejecting steam into
the boiler or other reservoir.
It will thus be seen that it is impossible for the water to pass back from each
division as it is heated and thus the hot gasses are coming from and the water going
in the direction of the boiler B. For the purpose of carrying off any accumulation in
the bottom of the tubes I may use the blow off cocks placed in any position
at the bottom of the tube C and a mud hole may be placed in the bottom branch to
facilitate this when necessary.
The hot gasses which are practically cooled and thereby contracted and thus takes
up less space when they have reached the part A¹ of the inner tube A are from thence
conveyed into a suitable chimney which owing to the gasses being so contracted may
be very reduced in size.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details of constructing this
Heater as for instance I make the inner tube of a concave shape the same as the outer
one or have both plain also to the kind of Boiler it is to be applied to as it may be
applied with equal advantage to other than steam boilers, or I might arrange the
pipes horizontally instead of vertically these details being merely a matter of con-
venience in each distinctive case but what I claim is-
1st. The Improved method of heating feed water in different temperatures for
hoilers by constructing one tube within another substantially as herein set forth and
described.
2nd. The improved method of constructing Feed water heaters with divisions or
check valves for the purpose herein set forth and described.
3rd. The improved method of water heaters of all kinds constructed as herein set
forth and described.