AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER AND PRO
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Doull, of No. 17, Barkham Terrace,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
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"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Doull at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1875.
I, DANIEL DOULL, of No. 17, Barkham Terrace, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APRARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH
WATER AND MEASURING THE WATER SUPPLIED," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the construction of an apparatus which
shall be automatic in its action, shall be capable of feeding steam boilers
with water, maintaining the water at one level, and if desired of mea-
suring the quantity of water supplied.
My Invention consists of two vessels of equal size and shape. I prefer
to make them of a wedge shape, with the angles rounded off and the

page_text: thin ends pointing upwards. These vessels are connected from the
bottoms to a trunion by two hollow arms, one arm from each vessel,
the two arms forming a lever with a vessel at each end and the trunion
in the centre. The trunion oscillates with the vessels, and in doing so
opens and closes passages in communication with the vessels, the feed
water, and the boiler. There is a small air tube from the top of each
vessel attached to the barrel of an air cock; the plug of this cock is
hollow it has got passages communicating with air tubes from the
vessels, which are opened and closed as the vessels oscillate by means of
a weighted handle; the air thus escapes through the hollow plug and up
through a small tube attached to the handle, and by it always kept in a
vertical position.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The vessel in the highest
position being filled with water it falls by its weight to the lowest
position and raises the empty vessel to the highest position, at the same
time reversing the passages in communication with the vessels, the full
vessel being now in communication with the boiler and the empty one
with the feed water, the air passage from the empty vessel being at the
same time opened and that from the full vessel closed by means of the
weighted handle, always maintaining itself in a vertical position. The
tube from the apparatus into the boiler being carried down to about
two inches under the water level the apparatus will cease to work when
the water attains a certain level.
By attaching registering mechanism to the boss of the trunion the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Doull in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
DOULL, late of No. 17, Barkham Terrace, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, but now of 87, Talbot Street, Dublin, Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the a

page_text: thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Daniel Doull, Her special
licence that I, the said Daniel Doull, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel Doull, 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 "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS POR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER AND MEASURING THE
WATER SUPPLIED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Daniel Doull, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Doull, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of my Invention is the construction of an apparatus which
shall be useful for feeding steam boilers with water, that shall maintain
the water constantly at one level in the boiler, and that shall be capable
of feeding with the same ease water of any temperature and at any
pressure, which apparatus shall be automatic in its action, and can be
used for raising and measuring liquids generally.
My Invention consists of two vessels of equal size and shape. These
vessels arc connected to a single trunnion by a hollow arm from the
bottom of each, the two arms thus forming a bent lever with a vessel at
each end, the trunnion being in the centre. There are two passages in
the trunnion, one communicating with each vessel through the hollow
arms. There are also three passages in the socket in which the trunnion
oscillates, two of which communicate with the feed water, and one with
the boiler. There is a small air tube from the top of each vessel attached
to the barrel of a single air cock; the plug of this cock is hollow, and
has got two passages in it, which communicate alternately with the air
tubes from the vessels. There is a small air tube attached to the outer

page_text: end of the plug at right angles to it, which leads from the hollow of the
plug there is also a weighted handle attached to the plug.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-It is placed at an
elevation above the level of the water in the boiler. The vessel in the
highest position being in communication with the feed water, and the
feed water being at a higher level than the vessel it flows into, it by its
own gravity as soon as this vessel is full and the other vessel has emptied
itself into the boiler the full vessel falls by its superior weight to the
lowest position and raises the empty vessel from the lowest to the
highest position, at the same time transplacing the passages, the full
vessel being now in communication with the boiler and the empty one
with the feed, the apparatus being thus made automatic by means of
the varying weights of the vessels, the temperature of the water making
no difference on the action of the apparatus. The water from the full
vessel flows by its weight into the boiler, and the pipe by which it flows
is carried down into the boiler to about water level, so that the water
ceases to flow as soon as the mouth of this pipe is covered, but com-
mences to flow again as soon as the water falls below this level, the
apparatus thus constantly maintaining the water at one level in the
boiler. The air arising from the condensation of the steam in the vessels
is allowed to escape by means of the weighted handle of the air cock
always maintaining itself in a vertical position, thus opening a passage
for the escape of the air into the atmosphere as each vessel changes its
position.
It will be seen that as each vessel puts itself in communication with
the boiler it practically forms part of the boiler, so that the apparatus
will feed with as much ease at a great as at a small pressure.
This Invention can also be used for raising cold water, the vacuum
created by the condensation of the steam in the vessels being sufficient
to raise water thirty feet or so, the first oscillation in this case having to
be imparted by hand.
The Invention can also be arranged so that the vessels will discharge
into an open vessel, and not into the boiler.
By attaching a counting machine to the boss of the trunnion, and the
capacity of the vessels being known, the quantity of liquid passing
through the vessels can be accurately measured and recorded.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood and

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a front view of the complete apparatus.
Fig. 2 represents a sectional elevation of the trunnion and trunnion
socket enlarged on Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents a sectional plan of the trunnion and trunneon
socket.
Fig. 4 represents a cross section of trunnion and socket on line A, B,
in Fig. 2 and 3.
In Figs. 2, 3, and 4 a, a, represents the trunnion; b, b, the trunneon
socket; and c, c, the hollow arms.
Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal section of air tubes on same scale
as Fig. 1, showing passage from vessel to admosphere.
Fig. 6 represents a cross section of air cock on
Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
same scale as
In conclusion, having thus described my Invention and the mode of
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,―
Firstly. The arrangement of two vessels by which the apparatus is
made automatic in its action, as herein-before described, or any mere
modification of same.
Secondly. The arrangement of the trunneon with its passages, as
herein-before described.
Thirdly. The arrangement of the trunneon socket with its passages, as
herein-before described and shewn on Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Doull, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.