Improvements in Automatic Feed-water Regulators for Boilers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 15th Aor., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Feed-water Regulators for Boilers.
I. JOSHUA THOMAS, of Lees Court, City of Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America, 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 :-
This invention relates to feed-water regulators for steam boilers, the nature and
object of which will fully appear upon the subjoined description when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a boiler and pump, having my invention attached.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached plan view of the regulator.
A represents a steam boiler of ordinary construction.
BC are copper pipes joined at their ends by cross-heads D and E. These pipes
are placed on a level with the desired water level in the boiler, and are connected
by a pipe F at one end to the top of the boiler for steam connection, and the
opposite end is attached by a pipe G with the bottom of the boiler for water con-
nection. The pipes B C it will be observed are on a slight incline, so that the
steam and water meet in them on a level with the water in the boiler.
H is the regulating valve, located at one end of the pipes BC supported by a
yoke K, having a stuffing box 1 through which the valve stem J passes and reaches
the full length of the machine, and is attached to the cross-head E by means of a
turn-buckle joint L. On the valve stem is fixed a collar m and there is a strong
spiral spring N on a cross-bar through which the stem J passes, the cross-bar being
joined to the yoke K by rods P P having hooks which catch on to the yoke. This
spring holds the valve shut with a pressure equal to a ton's weight.
Qis a trap pipe connecting the pipe F and cross-head E with the pipe G and is
provided for conducting condensed water from pipe F and prevent it passing into
the pipes BC for the purpose of avoiding the heat of the condensed water mingling
with the water, which comes into them from pipe G, and retarding the cooling and
contracting of the proper pipes B C as it was desired that the expansion and con-
traction of said pipes shall be prompt.
The steam for running the pump R is passed through the regulating valve, and
by the means of this device, the boiler has complete control of the motion of the
pump, by opening and closing the valve, causing the pump to slack or stop, or run
fast or slow, as the boiler requires more or less water thereby always maintaining
water at the proper level in the boiler.
So long as the water in the boiler A is at such a level that the pipes B and C
are full of water the valve H will remain closed and the pump R will not be operated
but so soon as the water falls below that level and steam instead of water is in the
pipes B and C then by reason of the higher temperature to which B and C are
exposed said pipes B C will expand in the direction of their length and through
the cross bead D joint L and valve-stem J (the expansion of which stem is not
appreciably affected by the rise and fall of the water level) open the valve H and
thereby admit steam to the cylinder of the pump R with the result that the pump
s operated. As soon as the water level by the operation of the pump R, is again
raised so as to fill the pipes B and C with water said pipes will contract and the
alve H will be closed so that the pump R will be stopped.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,―
The combination of boiler A pipes B C joined by cross-heads DE cross-head D
connected by pipe F with top of boiler cross-head E' connected by pipe G with
bottom of the boiler pipe Q connecting pipe F with pipe G the valve H supported
by the yoke K valve-stem J passing through the stuffing-box 1 in yoke K and
having collar m spring N and rods P P connecting cross-bar O with the yoke the
stem being connected with cross-head D by turn-buckle L all constructed to operate
substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1892
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.