IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO
STEAM BOILERS."-A communication from abroad by Jean Alexis
Ikonnikoff, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th October 1875.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING
WATER TO STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The improved apparatus, which forms the subject of the present.
Invention, relates to an arrangement or combination of devices for
feeding steam boilers automatically and with mathematical precision
with water either at the temperature of the surrounding air or in a

page_text: heated state, the operation being effected in such a manner that the
water in the boiler may always be preserved at an uniform level, and
there will be no risk or accident. This is effected by means of a peculiar
construction of cock or water key placed between the water reservoir
and the boiler. One form of apparatus consists of a kind of spigot or
hollow plug, which is enclosed in a casing in which it is free to turn
either continuously in one direction, or intermittently in the same
direction, or alternately to the right and left: This spigot or hollow
plug is provided at its upper end with a spindle, to which the requisite
motion can be communicated, either direct from the engine to be driven
or by means of a small auxiliary engine, which will work independently
of the large engine to be driven. Openings or passages are made
transversely through the spigot or hollow plug, and corresponding
openings are made in the outer casing, and communicate at one sido
with the boiler both above and below the water level, and at the other
with a close vessel which is supplied with the feed water from a reservoir
Instead of a cylindrical or conical hollow plug or spigot, which is
kept constantly revolving in the same direction, and acting in connection
with a close vessel or receiver, as above described, the water may be
supplied from the reservoir above to a hollow vase enclosed in a casing,
and to which vase cither an intermittent or a reciprocating rotary
motion may be given by means of a small direct-action engine provided
for the purpose. This hollow vase is provided with side openings

page_text: corresponding to openings in the casing, which communicate alternately
with the reservoir and the steam boiler, as in the former instance.
Instead of the close vase being made to rotate intermittently, as above
stated, it may be constructed in the form of a cylinder, and made to
work up and down like the piston of a steam cylinder. The steam and
water ports will be uncovered intermittently, as in the former instances,
and the water be supplied in the same manner to the boiler.
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Edward Newton, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO
STEAM BOILERS," being a communication to me from abroad by Jean
Alexis Ikonnikoff, of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
The improved apparatus which forms the subject of the present
Invention relates to an arrangement or combination of devices for
feeding steam boilers (automatically and with mathematical precision),
with water either at the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere or
in a heated state, the operation being effected in such a manner that the
water in the boiler may always be maintained at an uniform level, so
that there will therefore be no risk of accident. This is effected by
means of a peculiar form of apparatus consisting of a cock or water key
placed between the water reservoir and the boiler, and through which
the water must pass to the boiler. The apparatus consists of a hollow
plug or cylinder enclosed in a casing in which it is free to turn either
continuously or intermittently in one direction or alternately in opposite
directions.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section drawn one-
fourth the real size of a feeding apparatus constructed according to the
present Invention.
A is a steam boiler, at a convenient distance from which is placed a
close metal vessel B, the capacity of which should be about double the
volume of water which is evaporated in the boiler under the maximum
action of the heat. The metal supply cistern or vessel B com-
municates (1) with the interior of the boiler A by the water pipe C, C',
and the steam pipe D, D¹; (2) with the water reservoir by the pipe E,
the end of which enters a vessel supplied with water at the ordinary
temperature, or a special vessel by the tube E, E, and E² when it is a
question of supplying water at a given temperature or even hot water.
In this case only the vessel B communicates with the atmosphere by
the pipe L, L',
The above-mentioned connections of the vessel B with the boiler A,
and with the vessel and the atmosphere are opened alternately, and

page_text: in successive order by the continued rotation of the cock, water key, or
cylinder F in the cylindrical casing G. The steam engine (the boiler
of which it is desired to supply) being put in motion the cock or
cylinder F begins to turn slowly, and in a continuous manner, being
actuated by the endless screw or worm J which gears into the worm
wheel H. The worm J receives this motion by a suitable band passed
round the grooved pulley h, and the speed at which the cock F ought to
rotate is about one turn per minute. This continuous rotary motion of
the cock F has for its object to place the vessel B at each semi-rotation
of the cock F alternately in communication with the boiler A, when the
passages c and d of the cock F are brought to coincide simultaneously
with the openings and wo of the cylindrical casing G, or to close the
vessel B and completely isolate it when none of the passages in the
cock F will correspond with any of the openings in the casing G, or
lastly to place it in communication with the reservoir when the passages e
and f of the cock F coincide with the openings x and ≈ of the casing,
for then the vessel B being altogether clear of water and steam the
water of the reservoir will fill it, either by ascending through the
pipe E, E, or by descending through the pipe E, E², without their being
the least interruption between this mass of liquid and the body of water
which remains in the reservoir.
Under these conditions the apparatus acts in the most regular
manner and satisfies all wants, that is to say, the level of the water in
the boiler can only vary between the line y', y¹, and the line y°, yo, and
will have an average level of 81, 81, seeing that the approximate supply
of water at each half rotation of the cock F is equal to half of the
volume y', y, y°, y', and consequently corresponds to one-half the
distance between the points y' and y°. This position of the level of the
water in the boiler A will be uniform minus the variations of alternate
rise and fall which are necessarily produced by the periodical action of
the supply vessel B which only supplies water to the boiler at each
semi-rotation of the cock F.
Fig. 2 represents an apparatus which may be called a tap vessel"
supply apparatus. It acts in a manner substantially the same as the
rotary apparatus above described, corresponding parts being indicated by
similar letters of reference. This "tap vessel" may be actuated by a
worm and worm wheel as in the former instance, or by means of a small
single action engine. This small engine (which is shown in vertical

page_text: section at Fig. 3) is intended to obviate an inconvenience incidental to
the apparatus above mentioned, and which arises from the fact that the
apparatus must remain inactive except when the large engine is in
motion. The small engine receives its steam direct from the boiler.
The steam enters the valve chest M, and the slide valve m' directs it
under the piston (through the opening m) in order to raise the latter,
and then closes the opening when the piston descends. The motion of
the slide valve is produced by the cam disc n fixed on the crank shaft o.
This cam disc (which is shown detached in side elevation and drawn
upon an enlarged scale at Fig. 4), has a groove p made in its face in 1
which works an antifriction roller q mounted at the end of the fork or
slot of the rod R, as shewn in the Figure 4. The fly wheel V is pro-
vided with a radial slot at T into which enters the pin of the crank s to
which is connected the head of the rod l, the other end of which is
connected to the end of the arm k (Fig. 2), in order to impart to this ]
latter an intermittent motion. By the pin of the crank s being thrown
outwards (by the action of centrifugal force) from the axis of the crank
shaft the extent of motion of the arm is increased, and this causes the
ratchett of the "tap vessel" to move round to a greater extent. This
same small single acting engine may also communicate a reciprocating 2
motion or a continuous rotary motion to the tap vessel.
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When it is desired to disconnect the "tap vessel" from the small
engine, the worm wheel must be loosened or unscrewed, which may be
done in a very simple manner.
Fig. 5 represents in vertical section a modification of the "tap 2
vessel" form of water supply apparatus, in which the inner cylinder or
cock has an up and down or rectilinear motion imparted to it. The
cylinder or outer casing of this apparatus is like the cylinder of a singlo
acting steam engine, such as is shown in Fig. 3, and it has four passages
b, c, d, e', which correspond to the openings b, c, d, and e of the "tap a
vessel " B, which forms a kind of piston, to the top of which is adapted
a forked bearing ; to receive the end of a rod J, which connects it to any
convenient crank shaft or to a single crank. In its lower position this
piston vessel opens a communication by the openings and c with the
opening of the steam supply pipe ', and also with the opening c¹ for the a
supply of the boiler. The piston vessel on rising gradually shuts these
openings until on arriving at the highest point it opens a communi.
cation between the openings d, e, and d³, e¹.

page_text: For the proper working of the [apparatus the several parts must be
arranged as follows:-
First. The faces of the vessel should be below the supply opening c
a greater distance than the throw of the crank, and consequently the
passage c¹ should be closed while the piston vessel occupies the elevated
position.
Second. The distance between the two openings b and c should also
be greater than the throw of the crank, so that the opening b which
admits the steam should be closed while the piston vessel is in its
clevated position.
As regards the position of the passages c¹ and d, and of the openings
d and e made in the vessel, the following conditions must be carefully
observed and kept. When the vessel is in its lowest position, the
openings & and e should be closed, and when it occupies the highest
position they should be open. This object is effected if when the vessel
is at its lowest position the distances between the centres of the
openings c, c¹, d, d', are equal to the length of the stroke of the
piston vessel, that is to say, to the throw of the crank of the driving
shaft.
In the clevated position of the vessel the openings d and d¹ and e, e¹,
correspond, and consequently the steam escapes by the pipe k, which
will admit of the introduction into the interior of the vessel of the
water which enters by the pipe i from a reservoir or cistern placed
higher than the apparatus.
In the lower position when the openings b and c communicate with
the passages b' and c¹ (that is to say, when the steam enters from the
boiler through the opening 6) the apparatus will supply such boiler with
water by the passage c¹.
The lower cover of the casing G is cast with an orifice which
admits of bringing or admitting the steam under the vessel, as shown in
the Drawing.
Having now described the Invention, which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect,-
coid
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as afore-

page_text: The different forms of apparatus herein set forth (whether they have
a continuous or intermittent rotary motion or a reciprocating motion)
for supplying steam boilers with water.
I claim the right to adapt any or either of such forms of apparatus to
fixed or portable boilers or to locomotive or marine engines.
I also reserve to myself the right to make such modifications therein
(as may be considered desirable or necessary for their proper appli-
cation) cither as regards the method of connecting them with the water
cisterns or reservoirs with which such apparatus should communicate,
or as regards the arrangement of the mechanism whereby the moveable
parts of the apparatus are to be actuated.
I also claim the construction, arrangement, and use of the small
direct-action engine which is supplied with steam by the boiler which it
is required to feed with water, so that when the large engine is at rest
the apparatus above described for supplying water to the boiler
may be
kept in operation, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.