AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR ADMITTING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS AND INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherstonhaugh, of Surrey
Square, Newington, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and Francis
Wise, of Peckham Grove, Camberwell, in the same County, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR
ADMITTING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS AND INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL "
Sealed the 28th January 1859, and dated the 30th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Frederick Wilks
Featherstonhaugh and Francis Wise at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th July 1858.
We, JOSEPH FREDERICK WILKS FEATHERSTONHAUGH, of Surrey Square,
Newington, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and FRANCIS WISE, of
Peckham Grove, Camberwell, in the same County, Consulting Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING APPARATUS FOR ADMITTING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS, AND INDICATING THE
WATER LEVEL," to be as follows:-
For the before. named purposes we make use of a metallic or other float,
which rises and falls with the surface of the water in the boiler, and carries or
is connected to a rod or stem, which passes upward through an opening
formed in the top of the boiler, which opening is of sufficient size to allow the

page_text: rod or stem to rise and fall freely without touching its sides, and is enclosed
by means of a glass or glass-sided case (placed upon the boiler), through
which the end of the rod or stem may be seen, and which may be marked
with suitable divisions, so as, by the position of the end of the rod or stem, to
indicate the level of the water. The float is also connected with and operates
upon a valve, valves, or tap placed in the boiler, or in a case open thereto, and
communicating with the pump, whereby the boiler is supplied with water, the
passages of the valve or tap being arranged so that when the water in the
boiler is below the proper level, the communication with the pump is opened
by the falling of the float, and a supply admitted. Upon its attaining the
proper height, the action of the float closes the opening above named, and
opens a passage, whereby air enters the pump, and. immediately stops its
action. If, from any cause the water level falls below a certain line, the
consequent depression of the float opens a passage, whereby steam is admitted
to an alarm whistle, which gives timely warning to the engineer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherstonhaugh and Francis
Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
FREDERICK WILKS FEATHERSTONHAUGH, of Surrey Square, Newington, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, and FRANCIS WISE, of Peckham Grove,
Camberwell, in the same County, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherstonhaugh and Francis Wise, Her
special licence that we, the said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherstonhaugh
and Francis Wise, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherstonhaugh and Francis Wise,
our 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 SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR
ADMITTING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS, AND INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL," upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Frederick Wilks
Featherstonhaugh and Francis Wise, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherston-
haugh and Francis Wise, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
For the before named purposes we make use of a metallic or other float,
which rises and falls with the surface of the water in the boiler, and carries or
is connected to a rod or stem, which passes upward through an opening
formed in the top of the boiler, which opening is of sufficient size to allow the
rod or stem to rise and fall freely without touching its sides, and is enclosed
by means of a glass or glass-sided case (placed upon the boiler), through
which the end of the rod or stem may be seen, and which may be marked
with suitable divisions, so as, by the position of the end of the rod or stem,
to indicate the level of the water. The float is also connected with and
operates upon a valve, valves, or tap (placed in the boiler, or in a case open
thereto), and communicating with the pump, whereby the boiler is supplied with
water, the passages of the valve or tap being arranged so that when the water
in the boiler is below the proper level, the communication with the pump is
opened by the falling of the float, and a supply admitted. Upon its attaining
the proper height, the action of the float closes the opening above named, and
opens a passage, whereby air enters the pump, and immediately stops its
action. If, from any cause the water level falls below a certain line, the
consequent depression of the float opens a passage, whereby steam is admitted
to an alarm whistle, which gives timely warning to the engineer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of one modification of our Invention,
with so much of the upper part or shell of a steam boiler as is necessary for
the purpose of explanation; and Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same
through the line of Fig. 1.
a represents a metallic float, having a stem b, jointed at c to levers & fixed
upon the ends of the plug e, formed with a curved passage f, and working in

page_text: the bushed casting or tap g attached to the upper part or shell h of the
boiler. In the tap g are formed three openings, i, j, and k. The opening i
communicates with a steam whistle / fixed outside of the boiler, the opening j
with a pipe m, which communicates with the suction pipe, or with the working
barrel of the pump, whereby the boiler is supplied with water, such pump
being worked by power in the ordinary or in any other convenient manner,
and connected with the boiler by means of a feed pipe, as usual, and the
opening with the steam space or chamber of the boiler. The part n of the
stem b passes upward through an opening o formed in the top of the boiler, of
sufficient size to allow it to play freely up and down without touching. This
opening is covered by means of a casing p, having one or more of its sides
formed partly of plates of glass q, through which the position of the end of
the stem may be seen.
In the position of the parts shewn, the water (u) in the boiler is supposed
to be at its correct average working height, and the feed pump to be in action,
continuing the supply. The supply goes on until the rising of the water level
has lifted the float (and thereby turned the plug e) sufficiently to open a com-
munication by the passage f between the openings i and j, which being
effected, a rush of air takes place downward by openings in the whistle (see
arrow), through the passages i, j, to the pipe m, and thence to the suction
pipe or working barrel of the pump, consequently destroying the vacuum
therein, and cutting off the supply of water until the float has again fallen, so
as to close the communication between the pipe m and the external atmosphere
as before, when the vacuum will again be formed, and the pump resume its
work. If, however, from derangement of the pump, or other cause, the water
level should continue to sink, the falling of the float will place the opening k
in communication with the passage i, thus allowing steam from the boiler to
pass through and sound the whistle. The dotted lines r represent a cover,
which, in the event of the breakage of one of the plates of glass q, may be
slipped on over the casing p, and, by means of the bolt and nuts, be screwed
tightly down upon the elastic ring t, which will form a tight joint, and prevent
the escape of steam until the broken plate can be replaced.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of another modification of our Invention; and
Fig. 4, a front elevation of the same. In this arrangement the stem 6 of the
float is attached by means of the stud or pin c to the slide valve d, working
against a facing formed upon the inner surface of the steam-tight chest or
casing e, bolted upon the boiler h. The slide d is formed with a recessed
passage f, and is kept in contact with its facing by light springs g acting

page_text: against the opposite side of the chest. i is an opening formed in the facing,
and communicating with the atmosphere, and j a similar opening com-
municating with the pipe m, leading, as in the former arrangement, either to
the suction pipe or barrel of the pump. The passage to the low-water alarm
whistle is closed by a conical valve n, kept to its seat by a light helical
spring, and having the lower portion of its stem p forked, so as to clear the
stem of the float. The two branches of the fork are connected together by
a light cross bar r formed with a hole, through which the stem 6 can move
freely up and down, but which is not sufficiently large to allow the boss or
eye s to pass. t is a vertical slot or opening formed in the chest or casing e,
and covered by two plates of glass q placed slightly apart, so as to leave a
thin stratum of air between the two. The action is this:-The rising of the
float carries up the slide until it opens a communication by the passage f
between the atmosphere and the pipe m, whereby air being admitted to the
suction pipe or barrel of the feed pump, the supply of water to the boiler
ceases, as by the former arrangement. Its fall on the other hand closes the
communication with the atmosphere, and causes the supply of water to be
resumed; or should the supply fail, the continued descent of the float carries
the boss or eye of the stem 6 into contact with the cross bar r, thereby
drawing down the conical valve n, and admitting steam to the alarm whistle.
The stud or pin c seen through the glasses q indicates the level of the water
in the boiler.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of an arrangement in which the stem 6 of the
float is jointed at c to a lever d, which gives motion to a shaft e (working in a
casing placed on the top of the boiler), and carrying the studs f and g, acting
on the rods i and j, the former of which carries a valve / fitting into a seat n,
enclosed in a perforated casing, and admitting air to a chamber p com-
municating with the pipe m, leading to the suction pipe or pump barrel as
before. An elastic diaphragm r attached to the rod i, and secured at its
circumference to the casing, prevents the escape of steam into the chamber p.
The rod carries a valve s, which closes the passage to the alarm whistle l.
The rods are both provided with weights t to balance the steam pressure. A
segmental opening 7 covered with glass shews the position of the stem b. The
rising of the float in this case lifts the rod i (as shewn), and admits air to the
pipe m, thus destroying the vacuum, as in the previous modifications. When
the float falls, the valve closes, and shuts off the air. If, then, the float still
continues to fall, the stud g raises the valve s, and the whistle is sounded.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,

page_text: and several modes in which the same may be performed, we would remark
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise arrangements or details
represented; but that what we claim as of our Invention is,
-
Firstly, the use or employment of the self-acting mode of regulating and
controlling the admission of water to steam boilers, by causing the action of
the float to admit and cut off air from the feed pump or pipes, or connections
appertaining thereto, in such manner as to destroy and re-establish the vacuum
as required.
Secondly, the use or employment of the combination of parts described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2, for regulating the admission of air to the feed
pump or pipe, or pipes connected therewith, and of steam to an alarm whistle,
for the purposes described.
Thirdly, the combination of parts explained with reference to Figs. 3 and 4,
for the purposes described. :
Fourthly, the combination of parts described with reference to Fig. 5, for
the purposes named.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Frederick Wilks Featherston-
haugh and Francis Wise, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOSEPH FREDERICK WILKS (L.S.) FEATHERSTONHAUGH.
FRANCIS (L.S.) WISE.
Witness,
W. L. WISE,
108, Fleet Street.