Improvements in and relating to Damper Actuating and Regulating Apparatus for Steam Boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Damper Actuating and Regulating
Apparatus for Steam Boiler Furnaces.
We, THOMAS WHITE, and WILLIAM CARSON, both of 3 Park Terrace, Govan,
Lanarkshire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to damper actuating
and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces, and particularly applicable to the
construction of apparatus for which the present applicants obtained Letters Patent
No. 6889 May 11 1887, or other apparatus in which a water or steam cylinder and
piston or plunger is used intermediately between the boiler and the damper for giving
the differential and intermittent closing and opening motive action to the damper
respectively as the pressure of the steam rises or falls in the boiler, and is made to act
on the piston or plunger within the said cylinder; and comprises the fitting of a
regulating or controlling valve in connection with the said fluid pressure cylinder and
piston or ram to which the pressure steam or water would be supplied through a
siphon pipe from the boiler or otherwise, for actuating the pressure or relieving it by
exhausting to the outer atmosphere and making the apparatus work in a more
sensitive and accurate manner than heretofore.
The improvements consist in fitting a two or three way close fluid pressure valve,
and valve chest, preferably a D or slide valve, with a reversing close exhaust port or
chamber in it, and with faces covering the two or the three ports in the face of the
valve chest. In the case of two ports the one would be an inlet port near the upper
part of the chest leading by a branch to the fluid pressure cylinder, and the other or
lower would be an exhaust port, and the upper face of the valve would cover the
inlet port, while the lower face of the valve would work on the face of the chest con-
siderably below the exhaust port. This valve chest would have an inlet pipe from the
boiler on the back of the valve, and would have a branch leading from the exhaust
port in the face plate of the valve to the outer atmosphere. And in the case of three
ports, the top one would be an inlet port leading by a branch to the cylinder and
the exhaust port would be the lowest being connected also to the cylinder by an
outlet branch and exhaust through the chamber of the valve and centre port with
branch leading to the outer atmosphere. The slide valve would be fitted and actuated
by a rod, preferably jointed to its back, and passing down a close pipe open to the
pressure chamber behind the valve, attached to a metallic or other pressure disc or
diaphragm within a close pressure chamber below or at its other end. The diaphragın
is secured all round this chamber by an outer flange ring and bolts or other equivalent
joint; and the point of the centre spindle would pass down through the securing nuts
and washers of the diaphragm, and a stop guard would be secured to the outer
jointing ring or other equivalent with collar stops on the spindle acting on this guard,
which would prevent the valve and diaphragm from moving too far in either
direction. The lower end and sharp point of the spindle would pass down, and be
acted on by the sborter arm of a steelyard acting or other sensitive fulcrumed lever,
with long free arm on which a weight could be shifted to regulate the desired
reacting pressure on the pressure diaphragm or disc, to balance the desired normal
pressure of the boiler within the valve chamber. The exhaust ports might be made
with inore area than the inlet port to give a quicker or freer exhaust from the cylinder
when that was desired. The piston or plunger would be connected so as to actuate
the damper as described in a balanced or counterbalanced manner slightly in favour
of its opening and differentially, so that a small motion of the plunger would give a
greater proportionate closing motion to the damper and opening in the reverse

page_text: direction by the counterweights as described in the Specification of the said former
patent, or other equivalent manner. The action of this new damper regulating
apparatus and valve fittings would be as follows:-When the pressure of the steam
in the boiler rose above the desired normal pressure, it would act on the diaphragm
with a greater pressure than that due to its re-acting lever, and so press down the
diaphragm and open the valve of the inlet port to the cylinder, and press out its
piston or ram, and so close the damper proportionately to the outward motion of its
ram or piston; and immediately the pressure in the boiler fell towards its normal
pressure, the re-acting weighted lever would close the inlet port to the cylinder and
open the exhaust ports to the outer atmosphere, and allow the piston or plunger to
rise again, and the damper to open, by the action of its counterweights. The fluid
pressure valve chest would preferably be jointed portably to a flange on the side of
the column or of the cylinder, and carry a bracket for the fulcrum of the reacting
lever of the disc; and the stops for the motion of the diaphragm and valve, instead
of being formed on the valve spindle, might be fitted in connection with the differential
lever valve and form a slotted guide for it at the same time.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Damper Actuating and Regulating
Apparatus for Steam Boiler Furnaces.
We, THOMAS WHITE, and WILLIAM CARSON, both of 3 Park Terrace, Govan,
Lanarkshire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to damper actuating
and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces, and particularly applicable to the
construction of apparatus for which the present applicants obtained Letters Patent
No. 6889 May 11 1887, or other apparatus in which a water or steam cylinder and
piston or plunger is used intermediately between the boiler and the damper for giving
the differential and intermittent closing and opening motive action to the damper
respectively as the pressure of the steam rises or falls in the boiler, and is made to
act on the piston or plunger within the said cylinder; and comprises the fitting of a
regulating or controlling valve in connection with the said fluid pressure cylinder and
piston or ram to which the pressure steam or water would be supplied through a
siphon pipe from the boiler or otherwise, for actuating the pressure or relieving it by
exhausting to the outer atmosphere, and making the apparatus work in a more
sensitive and accurate manner than heretofore.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figure 1 shows a complete side elevation of one construction or arrangement and
combination of the parts of a damper-actuating apparatus or mechanism for closing
and opening the damper of steam boiler furnaces while the steain is rising above or
falling below the normal pressure in the boiler respectively, as a fuel economiser in
steam boilers and furnaces, showing the improvements of this our present invention,
as applied to an arrangement of our said former Patented Invention. Figure 2 is a
sectional side elevation corresponding to Figure 1, showing the improvements of this
invention to a large scale. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation at right angles to
Figure 1, both sections being taken through the new regulating valve and diaphragm
chest.
Referring to these Drawings:-A, A, is the hollow open ended cylinder formed

page_text: or erected on the strong foundation sole-plate A', which carries the whole apparatus,
and in which the counter-weight W, W1, W2, of the damper Z reciprocates freely
by its carrying chain C, passing over a pully C, or it might be the pulley D, with
the chain D' leading down and attached by a shackle at D to the damper Z, the
pulley or pulleys C, D, being mounted on the spindle B, within a double armed or
forked bracket B¹, secured at B" on the top of one side of the column A. On the
same spindle B is mounted the actuating pulley E, having the upper end of a chain E¹
attached to it, and the lower end attached to a crosshead E" of two side rods E³,
which have their lower ends attached to a crosshead at E3 on the lower outer end of
a plunger or piston F' working in an inverted rain or cylinder F, bolted at F, F, to
one side of the column A, having the acting pressure fluid admitted by the pipe G to
the upper end of this ram cylinder, which may either be the steam or water from the
boiler whose damper is to be regulated as hereinafter described. The plunger F' is
shown as preferably guided by a vertical rod F³ secured at A³ in axial line therewith
to the soleplate A¹.
The improvements of this invention essentially consist in fitting a D or slide valve a,
or other equivalent valve within a close valve chest bb', and with a reversing close
exhaust port or chamber a', in it, and with end faces covering the two ports 62, 611,
(or it might be three ports) formed in the face plate 61 of the valve chest b, b'. In
the case of two ports 62, 61, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the one 62 would be an
inlet port near the upper part of the chest leading by a branch G to the fluid pressure
cylinder F, and the other or lower 61, would be an exhaust port leading by an
exhaust pipe 6 to the atmosphere, and the upper face of the valve would cover the
inlet port 6, while the lower face of the valve would work on the face 6' of the chest
considerably below the exhaust port 6. This valve chest has an inlet pipe G¹
leading either the steam or water from the boiler whose damper furnace has to be
regulated. The slide valve a a¹ is fitted and actuated by the rod c, preferably jointed
to it by a buckle, and having a stud and spiral spring a fitted in the cover b³ of the
valve chest b to press the valve against its working face b'. The valve rod c passes
down the close branch e', and is attached at its lower end by a collar and screw nuts
at c³, c, to a metallic or other equivalent pressure disc or diaphragm d by gripping
discs d' within a close pressure chamber d², d¹¹. The diaphragm d is secured all
round this chamber d², di, by an outer flange ring and bolts at d³ or other equivalent
joint, so as to make the upper part of the chamber d close, while the lower part d¹¹
is open to the atmosphere. The valve chest b opens into the valve chest d' above the
diaphragm, by small openings shown at c in the tubes c', connecting the valve chest b
and diaphragin chest d². The lower part d" of this diaphragm chest which carries the
whole valve arrangement is formed in one with a strong bracket e, e, bolted to the side
of the column A, which bracket also carries a powerful steelyard lever f, f³, fulcrumed
on steel plates at el in the bracket e. The long arm of this lever carries a heavy
weight. The lower end of the centre spindle c passes down through the securing
discs and nuts c" of the diaphragm d, and has a steel point of fitted in it, bearing on a
steel pad or step f" fitted on the upper end of the short arm f of the lever f, f, and a
vertical screw link or stud 9, is screwed into the lower end of this arm of the lever
passing down through a hole for it in a strong snug e of the bracket e e, with
regulating nuts and jam nuts g¹, 93, on this stud g above and below the snug e³, as a
stop guard for regulating the slight motion of the lever f and diaphragm d, to prevent
the diaphragm d and valve a from moving too far in either direction. The lower
end of the spindle c of the valve a and diaphragm d is acted on by the shorter arm f
of the sensitive steelyard acting fulcrumed lever f, f, on the long free arm f¹ of
which the weight 2 is shifted to regulate the desired reacting pressure on the pressure
diaphragm or disc d, to balance the desired normal pressure in the boiler within the
valve chamber b and close diaphragm chamber d. The exhaust port bu might be
made with more area than the inlet port 63, to give a quicker or freer exhaust from
the cylinder or ram F, when that was desired. The piston or plunger F is connected
so as to actuate the damper as described in a balanced or counterbalanced manner
slightly in favour of the damper Z opening differentially in proportion to the

page_text: pulleys D and E, so that a small motion of the plunger F would give a greater
proportionate closing motion to the damper Z and opening in the reverse direction by
the counterweights W, W', as described in the Specification of the said former Patent,
or in other equivalent manner. The action of this new damper regulating apparatus
and valve fittings is as follows:-When the pressure of the steam in the boiler rises
above the desired normal pressure, it acts on the diaphragm d with a greater pressure
than that due to the weight f2 on its reacting lever f, f, and so presses down the
diaphragm and opens the valve a of the inlet port 62 to the cylinder F, and presses
out its piston or ram F¹, and so closes the damper Z proportionately to the outward
motion of its ram or piston; and immediately the pressure in the boiler falls again
towards or below its normal pressure, the reacting weight 2, and lever f, f¹, raise the
diaphragm d and spindle c of the valve a, so as to close the inlet port 62 to the
cylinder F, and open the exhaust port 6" to the outer atmosphere, through the port a'
in the valve and allow the piston or plunger F1 to rise again, and the damper Z to
open, by the action of its counterweights W, W.
In the case of three ports being formed and used in the face plate 61 of the valve
chamber b, the top one would still be the inlet port b², leading by the branch pipe G
to the upper part of the cylinder F, and the exhaust port 6 would in this case be
the lowest of the three ports, connected to the lower part of the cylinder F, by an
outlet branch, and exhaust through the chamber a¹ of the valve and centre port to
the atmosphere.
The new improvements of this invention are indicated by italic letters a to g, and
although they are only shown as applied to the arrangement of damper actuating
mechanism, shown in the Specification of our said former Patent, it will be seen that
they may be applied to actuate the plunger of any other fluid cylinder damper
moving and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of a
damper actuating and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces, with a slide or
equivalent valve connected to a disc or diaphragm within a close pressure chamber,
and having a valve chest and ports and a steel yard or other sensitive acting
weighted lever, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The fitting and use of a slide or equivalent valve connected to a disc or
diaphragm within a close pressure chamber, and having a valve chest and ports,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Dated the 20th February 1890.