Improvements in Apparatus for Heating, Purifying, and Softening Water for Boilers.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Heating, Purifying, and Softening
Water for Boilers.
I, MATTHEW COULSON of Spennymoor in the County of Durham, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR HEATING PURIFYING AND SOFTENING WATER to be as follows:-
For this purpose I construct an apparatus of wrought or cast iron troughs of
larger area than the ordinary feedwater pipes consisting of a series of pipes of a
circular, oval or other form, placed horizontal and vertical.
The top part of same or ingoing of feedwater or other liquids being connected
with a pump or other source under pressure, and the under part of same or
out going of feedwater or other liquids being connected with a pipe direct to the
Boilers or to a seperator in the shape or form of a cylindrical or other boiler with
partitions so placed in seperator that the water has to flow under and over the said
partitions several times.
And at each of the vertical ends of the said troughs or pipes, I connect a steam
pipe supplied by live steam from the Boilers at the full pressure and heat of the
Boilers, which intermixes with the feedwater as it falls or runs along and over the
ends of the horizontal pipes down into the vertical pipes, and thus fills up all
the intervening spaces, [that the feedwater does not occupy] with steam, and by
prolonging or delaying the passage of the water in the said troughs or pipes
[caused by the water having to flow at a slow rate] increases the temperature of
the said water to the same temperature of the steam.
The feedwater being thus heated to the temperature of the steam in the Boiler
renders the mineral salts and other impurities that form scale and incrustation or
deposit in Boilers insoluble, and then the water by falling into the bottom end of
vertical pipes or seperator, and passing through same in a quiescent state deposits
all the impurities in the vertical pipes or seperator that may be in the water or
other liquid.
Such impurities then being blown off by blow cocks placed at bottom of said
seperator and vertical pipes.
The length of horizontal and depth of vertical pipes to be as circumstances may
require, or in some cases the vertical pipes and seperator or one or both may, be
dispensed with and the vertical pipes may have a partition or diaphrom, cast or fitt

page_text: in same opposite the opening into the horizintal pipes to prevent any sediment or
impurities from passing into horizontal pipes.
Having the full pressure of the steam in the Boilers applied and by putting or
erecting the apparatus above top of Boilers the water from the seperator or end of
vertical or horizontal pipes will gravitate into the steam Boilers, or when not
convenent to place the apparatus on a higher level, the water can be pumped
out of seperator or end of vertical or horizontal pipes into the Boilers in the
ordinary way.
The process may be assisted by previously mixing with the water milk of lime,
Boda or other suitable ingredients or reagents.
In devising this arrangement I consider that by first heating the feed water by
live steam to the same temperature as the water in the Boiler, and continuing it at
the same high temperature for a considerable time, and then allowing it to pass
slowly through the horizontal and vortical pipes and seperator in a quiscent state,
I am able to seperate or make insoluble any impurities in the water, in the same
way as they would be if passed direct into the Boiler and left there to form
scale &c, but by stopping or trapping the deposits in the vertical pipes and
seperator and then blowing them out by blow cocks, I thus supply pure water into
the Boilers, free from impurities.

page_text: -
Water for Boilers.
I, MATTHEW COULSON of Spennymoor in the County of Durham, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR HEATING, PURIFYING AND SOFTENING WATER FOR BOILERS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
For this purpose I construct an apparatus of wrought or cast iron troughs of
larger area than the ordinary feed-water pipes consisting of a series of pipes of a
circular, oval or other form, placed horizontal and vertical. The top part of same
or ingoing of feedwater being connected with a pump or other source under
pressure, and the underpart of same or outgoing of feed water, being connected
with a pipe direct to the Boilers or to a separator in the shape or form of a
cylindrical or other Boiler with partitions so placed in separator that the water has
to flow under and over the said partitions several times.
And at each of the vertical ends of the said troughs or pipes I connect a steam
pipe supplied by live steam from the boilers at the full pressure and heat of the
boilers which intermixes with the feed-water as it falls or runs along and over the
ends of the horizontal pipes down into the vertical pipes and thus fills up all
the intervening spaces (that the feed-water does not occupy) with steam and by
prolonging or delaying the passage of the water in the said troughs or pipes
(caused by the water having to flow at a slow rate) increases the temperature of .
the said water to the same temperature of the steam.
The feed-water being thus heated to the temperature of the steam in the Boiler
renders the mineral salts and other impurities that form scale and incrustation or
deposit in boilers insoluble, and then the water by falling into the bottom end of
vertical pipes or separator, and passing through same in a quiescent state deposits
all the impurities in the vertical pipes or separator that may be in the water. Such
impurities then being blown off by blow cocks placed at bottom of said separator
and vertical pipes.
The number and length of horizontal and depth of vertical pipes to be as
circumstances may require, or in some cases the vertical pipes and separator or
one or both may be dispensed with and the vertical pipes may have a partition or
diaphragm cast or fit in same opposite the opening into the horizontal pipes to
prevent any sediment or impurities from passing into horizontal pipes.
Having the full pressure of the steam in the boilers applied and by putting or
erecting the apparatus above top of boilers, the water from the separator or end of
vertical or horizontal pipes will gravitate into the steam boiler, or when not
convenient to place the apparatus on a higher level the water can be pumped out
of separator or end of vertical or horizontal pipes into the steam boilers in the
ordinary way.
The process may be assisted by previously mixing with the water, milk of lime,
soda, or other suitable ingredients or reagents.
In devising this arrangement I consider that by first heating the feed-water by
live steam to the same temperature as the water in the boiler and continuing it at

page_text: the same high temperature for a considerable time and then allowing it to pass
slowly through the horizontal and vertical pipes and separator in a quiescent state,
I am able to separate or make insoluble any impurities in the water, in the same
way as they would be if passed direct into the boiler and left there to form
scale etc., but by stopping or trapping the deposit in the vertical pipes & separator
and then blowing them out by blow cocks I thus supply pure water into the boilers,
free from impurities.
In order that my said invention may be better understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed with the aid of the accompanying drawings to more
particularly describe the same.
Figure 1 of such drawings represents a side elevation. Figure 2, plan.
Figure 3-end elevation, and Figure 4 enlarged section of pipes AA of my
improved apparatus for heating, purifying and softening water for boilers.
The feedwater is introduced either by a pump or other source under pressure at
the top part of apparatus and is there met and heated with a supply of live steam
direct from the steam boiler and at the same pressure, and the water is then allowed
to flow along the horizontal pipes by gravitation and down the vertical pipes as
shown by arrows in Figure 4, where it is there again met and heated at each turn,
with the live steam from boilers, thus causing the water by the time it reaches the
end or last vertical pipe to be heated to as high a temperature as the steam in the
boilers and having been kept for some time at this high temperature causes all and
any impurities that can be separated from the water by severe boiling or heating,
to be thus separated and deposited in the lower part of the vertical pipes and thus
be blown out through cock placed at bottom of said pipes.
After leaving the last vertical pipe the hot water then passes through a
connection pipe marked B on Figure 1 into a separator in the shape or form
of a cylindrical or other vessel or boiler having partitions so placed as per dotted
lines in Figure 1 so that the water has to flow under and over the said partitions
several times, or a separator may be used without partitions thus causing any
impurities that has passed from the last vertical pipe to be deposited in the
separator and blown out through cocks placed at bottom of same.
The water having thus been purified and heated to the temperature of the steam
can either be pumped or allowed to gravitate into the steam boilers as may be
deemed most expedient.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said:
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The method of constructing an apparatus whereby the boiler feed-water can
be heated to the same temperature as the steam in the boilers and kept in this high
temperature some time before allowing it to pass into the boilera.
2. In an apparatus for purifying the water of solid matter and preventing same
accumulating in steam boilers and in preservation of steam boilers by introducing
the feed-water at same temperature as steam.
3. The improved construction of beating apparatus, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness I the said Matthew Coulson have herewith set my hand and
seal this fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand,
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