AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Théry, of Saint Quentin (France),
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
PURIFYING FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 6th February 1874, and dated the 19th August 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Théry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1873.
"
.
I, ADOLPHE THÉRY, of Saint Quentin (France), Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING FEED WATER OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of apparatus whereby the feed water
of steam boilers, after it has been introduced into. the boiler and there
heated, is caused to pass through a pipe into a separate closed vessel
situated near and somewhat above the level of the boiler, where it is
allowed to remain quiescent so as to allow any solid impurities to deposit
in the vessel, after which the water is caused to flow back into the

page_text: boiler. For this purpose, when the apparatus is applied to a single
boiler, an upright cylindrical closed vessel is connected at its upper end
by means of a pipe to the water space of the boiler, and by a second pipe
to the steam space thereof; and near its lower end the vessel is provided
with a third pipe, also communicating with the water space of the
boiler, either directly or througli the feed pipe. Each of the pipes is
provided with a cock, and at the bottom of the vessel is provided a
discharge pipe, through which the accumulated sediment may be
discharged from time to time.
In operating with this apparatus the cock of the water pipe com-
municating with the top of the purifying vessel is opened, so that water
from the boiler will be forced by the steam pressure through such pipe
into the purifying vessel; the cock is then closed, and the water is
allowed to remain in the vessel, in order that any solid matter may be
deposited. The cock of the steam pipe, as also that of the water pipe
near the lower end of the vessel is then opened, whereupon the water
will flow back from the vessel into the boiler. This operation is repeated
from time to time.
When the apparatus is applied to two or more boilers, two pipes pass
from the top of the purifying vessel along the tops of the boilers, the
water spaces of each of which are made to communicate by branch pipes
with one of the said pipes; the cock of the branch pipe of one of the
boilers being opened the water is forced by the steam pressure from the
said boiler into the purifying vessel, the steam pipe of this boiler is then
slightly closed so as to increase the pressure in the boiler somewhat
relatively to that of the other boiler or boilers; the cock in the branch
pipe of the next boiler is then opened, whereupon the water will by the
excess of pressure in the first boiler be made to circulate from this
through the purifying vessel and into the second boiler, such circulation
being made to take place slowly, so as to allow time for the deposit of
solid matter from the water while it is in the purifying vessel. The
fresh feed water is in this case introduced into the first boiler only.
The direction of the circulation may, if desired, be reversed by
introducing the fresh feed water into the second boiler, and "by raising
the steam pressure therein somewhat above that of the first boiler. To
provide for this alternate action it is necessary that each boiler should be

page_text: provided with two branch pipes, one communicating with the one pipe
leading to the purifying vessel, and the other communicating with the .
second pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Adolphe Théry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHE
THÉRY, of Saint Quentin, France, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Adolphe Théry, Her special license that I, the
said Adolphe Théry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Adolphe Théry, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING FEED
WATER OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Adolphe Théry, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly 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 Adolphe Théry, do hereby declare -
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to

page_text: My Invention consists in the use of apparatus whereby the fced water
of steam boilers, after it has been introduced into the boiler and there
heated, is caused to pass through a pipe into a separate closed vessel
situated near and somewhat above the level of the boiler; where it is
allowed to remain quiescent, so as to allow any solid impurities to deposit
in the vessel, after which the water is caused to flow back into the
boiler. For this purpose, when the apparatus is applied to a single
boiler, an upright cylindrical closed vessel is connected at its upper end
by means of a pipe to the water space of the boiler, and by a second pipe
to the steam space thereof, and near its lower end the vessel is provided :
with a third pipe, also communicating, with the water space of the
boiler, either directly or through the feed pipe: Each of the pipes is
provided with a cock, and at the bottom of the vessel is provided a
discharge pipe, through which the accumulated sediment may be
discharged from time to time. -
In operating with this apparatus, the cock of the water pipe com-
municating with the top of the purifying vessel is opened, so that water
from the boiler will be forced by the steam pressure through such pipe
into the purifying vessel; the cock is then closed, and the water is
allowed to remain in the vessel, in order that any solid matter may be a
deposited; the cock of the steam pipe, as also that of the water pipe
near the lower end of the vessel is then opened, whereupon the water
will flow back from the vessel into the boiler. This operation is repeated
from time to time.
•
⚫ When the apparatus is applied to two or more boilers, two pipes pass
from the top of the purifying vessel along the tops of the boilers, the
water spaces of each of which are made to communicate by branch pipes
with one of the said pipes; the cock of the branch pipe of one of the
boilers being opened, the water is forced by the steam pressure from the
said boiler into the purifying vessel; the steam pipe of this boiler is then 3
slightly closed, so as to increase the pressure in the boiler somewhat
relatively to that of the other boiler or boilers; the cock in the branch
pipe of the next boiler is then opened, whereupon the water will by the
excess of pressure in the first boiler be made to circulate from this
through the purifying vessel and into the second boiler, such circulation 8
being made to take place slowly, so as to allow time for the deposit of
solid matter from the water while it is in the purifying vessel. The
fresh feed water is in this case introduced into the first boiler only.

page_text: The direction of the circulation may, if desired, be reversed by
introducing the fresh feed water into the second boiler, and by raising
the steam pressure therein somewhat above that of the first boiler. To
provide for this alternate action it is necessary that each boiler should be
provided with two branch pipes, one communicating with the one pipe
leading to the purifying vessel, and the other communicating with the
Figure 1 shows an clevation of my before described improved
apparatus as applied to a single steam boiler. A is a cylindrical closed
vessel or recipient with conical lower end, situated at a higher level
than the boiler W, with the lower part of the water space of which it
communicates by means of a pipe a passing through the top of the
vessel, and descending some distance down into it, as indicated by
dotted lines. A second pipe 6 establishes a communication between the
top of the vessel A. and the steam space of the boiler, and a third pipe c
establishes a communication between the lower part of the vessel
and the feed water heater W' of the boiler. Each of the said pipes is
provided with a cock or valve, as shewn, and at the bottom of the
vessel. A is provided a discharge pipe L and cock R, for discharging the
accumulated sediment from time to time.
Assuming the vessel A to be empty and the cocks all closed, then, if
the cock of the pipe a be opened, the steam pressure in the boiler will
force the water from the lower part thereof through the pipe a into the
vessel A, which is provided with a small cock for blowing off the air.
The vessel being filled, the cock of the pipe a is closed, and after
allowing the water to stand some time in the vessel, so as to cause the
solid impurities thereof to deposit in the conical lower end of the vessel,
the cocks of the pipes b and c are opened, whereby the purified water is
made to pass from the vessel back into the feed water heater W' of the
boiler. This operation is repeated from time to time, a portion of the
solid impurities of the water being thus deposited in the vessel at each
operation, and when a certain amount of deposit has accumulated therein
it is discharged through the cock R.
Fig. 2 shews the application of my apparatus to two or more steam
The vessel A in this orso comn unicates at ton by means of the

page_text: If all these cocks
pipes G, F, and I, K, with each of the boilers in a manner to be presently
described. is a cock on the pipe I, K, and L is a discharge pipe with
cock R for discharging the accumulated sediment, as before described.
The boilers S and T each communicate with both the pipes G, F, and I, K,
by branched pipes ƒ,ƒ³, 9, 9', while the boiler U communicates with the
pipe F, G, and v communicates with the pipe I, K. All the communi-
cating pipes are provided with cocks a, a¹, b, b, c, d.
be closed the apparatus is out of action. On opening the cock a, the
steam pressure in the boiler S will force the water therefrom up the
branch pipe f, and along the pipe G, F, into the vessel A, which is 1
provided with a small cock for blowing off the air contained therein;
the valve of the steam supply pipe of the boiler S is then slightly closed,
so as to increase the pressure in this boiler somewhat relatively to that
in the other boilers, and the cock 1 of the pipe ¹ is opened, as is
also the cock on the pipe I, F. By the excess of pressure in the 1
boiler S, the water will now be made to circulate in the direction of the
arrows, from the boiler S, through the purifying vessel A, and into the
boiler T; as such circulation takes place slowly, a portion of the solid
impurities will be deposited from the water while it is in the vessel A:
The fresh feed water being made to enter the boiler S, the boiler T :
will by the above means be supplied with purified feed water from the
boiler S.
The direction in which the water circulates can be reversed by closing
the cocks a and b, and opening the cocks a¹ and 6 by increasing the
pressure in the boiler T instead of in S, and by introducing the fresh feed
water into T. By this means the whole of the water in the two boilers
may be made to pass through the purifying vessel A, and to deposit its
impurities therein.
If the apparatus is made to communicate with more than two boilers,
such as U and V, these may communicate with the vessel A by a single a
pipe, as shewn. By increasing the pressure in the one or the other
boiler, as described, the circulation of the water through the purifying
apparatus will be readily effected.
If the boilers are situated at different levels the water may be made.
to circulate from the higher ones to the lower ones through the purifying a
vessels by gravity, instead of by increasing the steam pressure, as above

page_text: As the deposit of the impurities at the bottom of the purifying vessel
takes place in quiescent water, and as they are of a dense nature, they
will tend to form a solid crust if not frequently removed; it is therefore
advisable to discharge them through the pipe L, say from six to ten
times during the day.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. The use of apparatus for purifying the feed water of steam
boilers, wherein a closed vessel is made to communicate by pipes with
the steam and water spaces of a boiler, in such manner that the water is
first caused to pass from the boiler into the said vessel so as to deposit
its solid impurities therein, and is then made to pass back into the boiler,
the deposited impurities being removed from the said vessel from time to
time through a discharge pipe, substantially as. herein described.
Second. The use of apparatus, such as above described, arranged to
communicate by means of pipes with two or more steam boilers; in such
manner that the water is made to pass from the one boiler into the
purifying vessel, whence, after depositing its impurities it is made to flow
into the other boiler, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphe Théry, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness;
ALBERT CAHEN,
Civil Engineer,
of Boulevard Magenta, No. 32,
at Paris.
A. THERY. (L.S.)