IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clark, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Manufacturer, and Archibald Ewing, of the City of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, aforesaid, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS,
AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
Sealed the 22nd December 1869, and dated the 5th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clark and
Archibald Ewing at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th July 1869.
We, JOHN CLARK, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Manufacturer, and ARCHIBALD EWING, of the City of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS
OR GENERATORS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to
be as follows, that is to say:-

page_text: heating or boiling close vessel, into which the supply water is filled,
either hot or cold, by the mere flow or a slight head of gravitation supply
(without the necessity of a pump or other forcing apparatus) inter.
mittently by a reverse syphen construction of pipe with a regulating
valve opened, or allowed to open, by a doat falling when the water is
low in the steam boiler or generator and the force of the inlet water
through the syphen and valve until the feeding vessel is full or nearly
so, the water being then heated within the feeding vessel until the
steam rises above or equal to the pressure of the steam within the boiler
or generator, when the water would then flow or gravitate into its water
space through a pipe and valve connecting the lower part of the feeding
vessel therewith. The feed vessel is by preference of a cylindrical form,
and the water within it is heated by the steam from the boiler or
generator being fed, and to the steam space of which the heating surface
space of the feed vessel is directly connected. This heating space may
consist of a close steam jacket or chamber space surrounding the outer
or water heating surface of the feeding vessel, through which longi-
tudinal or radial heating tubes may pass to give greater heating surface,
the water of condensation f ormed on the heating surface being allowed
to run back direct into the boiler. The supply valve is arranged to open
inwards when the water in the feed vessel has all been fed into the
boiler by the falling of a small float, rod, and valve (kept up and shut by
the water), which equalizes the pressure in the feed vessel and the water
supply vessel, so as to fill the feed vessel with water, which then closes
the equalizing valve, when the excess of pressure in the feed vessel on
the heat being applied to it closes the supply valve. The outlet or feed
valve opens outwards into the feed pipe leading to the lower water space
in the boiler, and is balanced or loaded so as to remain or be kept shut
by the pressure within the boiler.. The pressure above the heated water
within the feed vessel may in some cases be equalised with that of the
steam space of the boiler, so as to feed the water into it by a small steam
branch pipe directly connecting these spaces, and a valve worked by a
float within the main boiler, when the main body of water and float fall
to a low level. In some cases the supply water may be drawn into the
feed vessel when a vacuum is allowed to be formed within it by the use
of cold water, although this is not essential to the working of this new or
improved apparatus; or otherwise the water may be forced into the feed
heating vessel by any of the means now in use, as by a pump or supply

page_text: pipe of public waterworks; and the small equalizing pressure float valve
may either open to the atmosphere or be connected by a pipe, so as to
carry any heated steam or vapour from the top of the vessel to the water
supply chamber, so as to heat it to some extent.
Other equivalent forms or arrangements of steam surface heaters than
that described may be used or applied to the feeding vessel for the
purpose of raising the water and steam within it to the same heat and
pressure respectively before and for the purpose of so feeding the water
into the steam boilers or generators in this new or improved manner; or
the feed vessel and water in it may in some cases be healed by the waste
heated gases from the furnace on their way to the chimney, instead of
the arrangement of heating it by the steam from the boilers described,
whether that be the actual boiler being fed or other convenient steam
heating boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Clark and Archibald Ewing in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 1st January, 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CLARK, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Manu-
facturer, and ARCHIBALD EWING, of the City of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, aforesaid, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Clark and Archibald Ewing, Her
special licence, that we, the said John Clark and Archibald Ewing, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Clark and Archibald Ewing, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS OR

page_text: GENERATORS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Clark and
Archibald Ewing, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their bands 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
Toto Datant

page_text: to open inwards, when the water in the feed vessel has all been fed into
the boiler by the falling of a small float, rod, and valve, (kept up and
shut by the water), which equalizes the pressure in the feed vessel and
the water supply vessel, so as to fill the feed vessel with water, which
then closes the equalizing valve, when the excess of pressure in the
feed vessel on the heat being applied to it closes the supply valve. The
outlet or feed valve opens outwards into the feed pipe leading to the
lower water space in the boiler, and is balanced or loaded so as to remain
or be kept shut by the pressure within the boiler. The pressure above
the heated water within the feed vessel may in some cases be equalized
with that of the steam space of the boiler, so as to feed the water into it'
by a small steam branch pipe directly connecting these spaces, and a
valve worked by a float within the main boiler, when the main body of
water and float fall to a low level. In some cases the supply water may
be drawn into the feed vessel, when a vacuum is allowed to be formed
within it by the use of cold water, although this is not essential to the
working of this new or improved apparatus; or otherwise the water may
be forced into the feed heating vessel by any of the means now in use,
as by a pump or supply pipe of public waterworks; and the small
equalizing pressure float valve may either open to the atmosphere or be
connected by a pipe, so as to carry any heated steam or vapour from
the top of the vessel to the water supply chamber so as to heat it to
some extent.
Other equivalent forms and arrangements of steam surface heaters
than that described may be used or applied to the feeding vessel for the
purpose of raising the water and steam within it to the same heat and
pressure respectively before and for the purpose of so feeding the water
into the steam boilers or generators in this new or improved manner; or
the feed vessel and water in it may in some cases be heated by the waste
heated gases from the furnace on their way to the chimney, instead of
the arrangement of heating it by the steam from the boilers described,
whether that be the actual boiler being fed or other convenient steam
heating boiler.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood and
performed or put into practice we will now proceed to describe the several
illustrative Figures upon the Sheet of explanatory Drawings which we
have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modifi-

page_text: cations and means which we are at present aware or for carrying out
our said Invention or improvements into effect or practice, the same
reference letters and numerals being employed to indicate the same or
similar parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a complete longitudinal vertical section of one modification
or arrangement of the parts of our said Invention, or new or improved
water heating and feeding apparatus, as applied to an ordinary hori-
zontal circular steam boiler with double circular flues, showing that part
of the boiler to which the feed apparatus is attached; and Figure 2 is a
tranverse horizontal section of the heating and feeding vessel proper
taken on the line 1-1 in Figure 1.
Referring to these Figures 1 and 2 our said Invention consists in
feeding a steam boiler or generator, as a, with its water by the use of a
self-acting heating and feeding apparatus consisting as follows:-Of the
boiling or heating and close feed vessel A, into which the supply water b
is filled at intervals or intermittently, as it is required, by flowing from
a slight head of gravitation pressure feeding vessel and source of supply,
and the automatic equalizing of the pressure within these vessels
(without the necessity of feed pumps or other forcing apparatus set on
at intervals by the attendants or otherwise, although these may be used
when desired or where the water of supply is lower than the boiler and
new apparatus), as, by preference, from the intermittent supply chest or
cistern B by a pipe B' leading from its lower part to the top of the feed
vessel A. The water is fed into or regulated in its admission by a
float C, lever C, and valve C2, as required to supply the boiler, into the
chest B, by preference from any constant source of supply, or by gravi-
tation as before named, or from the service pipe of public supply main
pipes, through the dip or reverse syphon pipe 1), up through the float
valve chest D2 and lateral branch D₁ into the upper part of the chest B.
The feed vessel A is by preference made of thin sheet copper and of
a cylindrical form, and the water b fed into it is heated or boiled by
the steam lead from the steam space of the boiler or generator a being
fed, and through the steam pipe f (controlled by an ordinary screw
stop-plug or valve f¹) into the two close annular steam heating cased
chambers F and F1 surrounding the outer heating surface of the feed
vessel A; this heating casing F and F is supplied and kept always
full of steam of the same heat and pressure as that within the boiler a;

page_text: Greater
and the action of this steam on the outer surface of the vessel A heats
and boils the water 6 within it until it rises to the same pressure and
temperature within the vessel A as that within the boiler a.
heating surface is given to the vessel A for the said purpose in some
cases, when desired, by sets of tubes, as A', passed right through and
across from side to side of the vessel A, by preference in horizontal planes
at right angles to each other, but these tubes may be arranged vertically
when desired. The water of condensation from the steam formed on the
heating surfaces of the vessel A aud its tubes A¹ is allowed to run back
from the bottom of the vessel F through the pipe f and f into the boiler
again. The feed vessel A is jointed steam-tight at bottom to the
upper flanged branch E' of the feed-pipe E cast on the centre of the
steam heater F, and at top by a broad flanged cover G, which makes
both vessels A and F steam-tight. To the top of this cover G, over
apertures opening into them, is bolted the inlet water valve branch B²,
fitted with and containing the inlet valve B" (of the pipe B¹ conducting
the feed water from the bottom of the intermittent supply or filling
chest B), and also the pressure equalizing valve chest H connected by
the pipe J to the top part of the supply chest B. The valve H is by
preference made of the double beat equilibrium class, and opening by its
downward action and that of the lowering of the last of the water in the
vessel and the float end I of the balanced weighted regulating lever I,
to which the valve is connected by the light rod H", the float lever I
being carried and fulcrumed on the stud or short pillar 12 secured at
the bottom of the vessel A. The lever and valve are adjusted so that
when the water is again filled into and rises into the vessel A the power
of the float I shuts the valve H₁ again against any pressure of steam or
vacuum acting on its lids h. The inlet water valve B is loaded, tem-
pered, or regulated by the spring and screw B" on its stem to bear up
the weight of the valve lid and shut it when the water is nearly all run
out of the supply chest B and has filled the feeding vessel A, and open
it when there is little water in the feed vessel A and a height or supply
of water in the cisteru B, and the pressure in both vessels and B being
equalized at the time of filling the feed vessel A by the opening of the
valve H' and float I'. The lower flange of the feed water branch E' at
the bottom of the feed vessel A is directly connected by the two short
straight branch pipes E and E" respectively of the feed valve and stop
sluice valves E³ and E to and sits on the flange end of the usual feed

page_text: pipe E, the lower end of which passes down to near the bottom of the
water space of the boiler a between the flues a¹. The feed valve E³ is
by preference of the double beat equilibrium class, opening by the short
downward motion of its spindle and lids e, e¹, when it rests on the bar e
for the purpose; the upper lid e is however preferred to be rather the
largest, so that it will open rather before the pressure and temperature
of the steain and water contained within the vessel A rises to that within
the boiler a, and yet close instantly by the excess of pressure within
the boiler the moment the reduction of pressure is caused within the
vessel A by the admission of the first portion of the new charge of water
within it. The sluice or stop valve E is of an ordinary construction,
and used in this position to shut off the feed apparatus and put it on, as
at night and in the morning respectively, as the steam stop valve
for shutting off or admitting the steam to the steam heating space and
chamber F, F, although this is not absolutely necessary (if all the valves
are kept tight and in good working order), except to save waste of heat
through the apparatus.
is
The action of the apparatus is as follows: When the water in the
boiler a falis low it draws down the float C and the end of the lever C¹
which raises the weighted end and the spindle C" of the inlet service
float valve C, which being attached to the rod C" by a long slot and
cotter allows the pressure supply water b to flow down and up through
the pipe D, valve chest D, and valve lid C, into the supply chest B,
filling it, by preference, to near the top, but not quite full, as an air
pipe K controlled by a tap is provided aud opened to the atmosphere,
with the end projecting some distance into the chest B, so as to allow
the air and vapour to escape up to the pipe, but still leave some above
it, and the surface of the water at the top of the chest, and admit air
when the water is being discharged through the pipe B¹ into the feed
vessel A. The water thus filled into the chest B runs or gravitates
through the pipe B¹ into the feed vessel A, when the supply previously
fed into it has been boiled or heated until the pressure on the top of the
water b and lid of the valve Es from the inside of the vessel A has
become equal to or more than that acting on the lid from within the
boiler a sufficient to open the valve E³ downwards, when the water
would then gravitate through the feed valve E and pipe E into the
boiler a, and fall to the bottom of the vessel A; it lowers the float I' and

page_text: opens the valve H¹ and ports i and
into the pipe J, which equalizes
the pressure on the top of the water b in the cistern B and in the
vessel A, so that the water in the cistern B by its own weight opens the
valve B and flows through the pipe B', as before named, until it re-fills
the vessel A, which again raises the float I and closes the valve H'.
The excess of pressure caused by the heating of the feed vessel A and
water within it then closes the valve B11, and at same time releases the
pressure on the inlet valve C2 so as again to fill the cistern B, when the
continued heat and pressure again rises within the vessel A until they
open the feed valve E3 and feed this charge also into the boiler, as before
described, and so on intermittently and automatically until the water
rises in the boilers to the maximum height, which raises the floats C, so
that the weighted end of the lever C¹ holds the inlet supply valve C2
shut for the time, and no water can be fed into the vessel A or boiler a
until the water b and float C within the boiler again falls. By this
arrangement of having a close water supply cistern B intermediate
between the supply float valve chest D2 and the feed vessel A all the
hot steam required to escape through the equalizing ports i, i¹, and
valve H from the feed vessel A while it is being filled is utilized by
being led through the pipe J into the cistern 13, where it acts on and
thoroughly heats the water before it enters the feed vessel A so that
water of any heat below that in the boiler can be fed into it by this
arrangement of feeding apparatus. In some cases, however, as where
the main supply water is from a high cistern or powerful forcing main
supply pipe, the intermediate cistern B may be dispensed with, and the
supply valve chest D2 directly connected to the inlet pipe B' of the feed
vessel A, and the pressure equalized in the vessel A and high water
cistern by leading the pipe J up to it, or by allowing the vapour or
steam to blow out of the pipe J into the air, which would lower the
pressure in the feed vessel A below that in the feed pipe D and B¹, so
that the water, either hot or cold as supplied, would flow rapidly into
and fill the vessel A. Instead of the outer casing F" of the steam heater.
F being made double, as shown, the inner casing F may be surrounded
by a covering of wool and wood, or other non-conducting lining or
covering material, when desired, instead of the outer steam casing F¹.
Other equivalent arrangements of the mere form of the vessel A and

page_text: in reference to, the accompanying Drawings, may be used and applied,
and give less or more heating surface power and other minor advantages
or disadvantages, but all constructed, in accordance with the essential
feature and part of our said Invention, so as to act substantially, in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described, and raise the water
and, steam within the close feeding vessel A, to, the same, or nearly the
same temperature, and pressure as, that within the boiler, and make it
and its feed valve,act automatically, so as then, when the water is so
heated, to feed or discharge it into the steam boiler or generator a.
The feed, vessel A and water in it may, in some cases, when desired,
be heated by the waste heated gases from the furnace by making them
pass into and through a heating chamber, as F, surrounding the vessel.A
(made larger for the purpose), on their way to the chimney, instead of
the arrangement of: heating it: by the steam direct from the boiler, as
described, whether that be the actual boiler or its furnace being fed, or
other adjacent or convenient steam heating boiler or furnace.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us
by the herein-before in part recited' Letters Patent is,―
First. The construction and arrangement of apparatus or mechanism
and their, parts for the purpose of feeding water into steam boilers or
generators, all substantially in the new or improved mauner herein
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of a close water heating or boiling
feed vessel and, apparatus, which works automatically so as to receive
the water either hot or cold, and deliver or feed it into the boiler when
heated to nearly the same temperature and pressure as that within the
boiler, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any, mere modification
thereof.
Third. The construction and use of close water heating vessels for
feeding steam generators, with or having an automatic or self-acting
valve, so, constructed that it opens and feeds the said water into the
boiler when the temperature and pressure within the vessel have risen

page_text: to a certain pressure equal to or less than that within the generator, and
vice versa closes when it falls below that fixed heat and pressure which
is inversely proportional to the difference of the areas or acting surfaces
of the valves, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Clark and Archibald Ewing,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-first day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
20, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
(L.B.)
JOHN CLARK.
ARCHIBALD EWING. (L.8.)