acting feed apparatus for
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM BURNS of 15 Govanhill Street, Govanhill, Glasgow in the County
of Lanark, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention which relates to improvements in self acting feed apparatus for
steam boilers consists in adapting directly to the feed valve or combining there-
with, through the intervention of intermediate mechanism, a cylinder by the action
of steam on a piston contained in which the feed valve is caused to open when the
water in the boiler sinks below the desired level. A spindle or rod bears on the
upper side of the feed valve, the said spindle when the steam cylinder is in direct
communication with the valve being connected to the underside of the piston.
A spindle or rod projects from the under side of the piston through the steam
cylinder which is placed upon the feed valve casing the upper extremity of the
Baid spindle or rod being connected to a weighted lever. A pipe communicates
between the cylinder and the steam space of the boiler the lower end of which
pipe is furnished with a valve connected to a float by which it is opened when the
water in the boiler sinks below the desired level. The opening of the valve admits
steam to act on the piston whereby the spindle bearing on the feed valve is raised
and the said valve by the action of the pump or other forcing apparatus is then
lifted from its seat and admits water to the boiler until the desired level is again
reached which being effected the steam valve closes and the weighted lever forces
the feed valve to its seat by the downward pressure on it of the rod or spindle
first referred to.
In lieu of placing the steam cylinder upon the feed valve casing it may be
otherwise situated as for example it may be seated on a stool bolted or connected
to the boiler shell and to regulate the action of the apparatus the piston rod may
be connected to one end of a link by means of an adjusting nut the opposite
extremity of the link being attached to the weighted lever before referred to.
Dated thi T
1007

page_text: I, WILLIAM BURNS of 15 Govanhill Street Govanhill, Glasgow in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, 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 which relates to improvements in self acting feed apparatus for
steam boilers consists in adapting directly to the feed valve or combining therewith
through the intervention of intermediate mechanism a cylinder by the action of
steam on a piston contained in which the feed valve is caused to open when the
water in the boiler sinks below the desired level.
The improved self acting feed water regulating apparatus constituting my
invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which figure 1, is a
longitudinal vertical section of one modification; figures 2 and 3 are respectively
a longitudinal vertical section and an end elevation of a different modification of
the improved feed apparatus as applied to a boiler of the Lancashire or Cornish
type; figure 4, shows an application of my apparatus to a marine boiler; and
figure 5 shows the same applied to a vertical land boiler.
In the several modifications of my improved self-acting feed apparatus a valve A,
is fitted in a seat in a branch B of the feed pipe C from which the boiler D or a
range of boilers is supplied with water, the said valve being kept normally closed
by means of a spindle a bearing on it and acted on by a weighted lever or a
spring or by dead weight against the pressure of the water in the feed pipe C to
which the water is supplied by a pump or other forcing apparatus in constant
operation.
Upon the upper side of the valve A, but detached from it bears a spindle a
which passes through a stuffing box in the cover of the valve casing E, and in the
example shown in figure 1, is connected at its upper end to a weighted lever F
pin-jointed to a bracket f on the valve casing. At or near the end of the lever F
is jointed one end of a rod G, whose other end is connected by an adjusting screw
link g, to the piston rod h, of a steam cylinder H, whose piston h' is acted on by
the admission to the cylinder of steam from the boiler D. The admission of the
boiler steam to the cylinder H is controlled by a conical valve I which fits. a
valve seat formed at the lower end of the cylinder or in a stool J carrying said
cylinder and which is connected to and operated by a lever K carried by a stud
bracket L depending from the boiler shell. To one end of the lever K is suspended
a float M and at the opposite end is a counterbalancing weight N.
The float M is partially immersed in the water and so long as the normal water
level is maintained it acts with the balance weight to keep the valve I closed, but
when the level of the water falls it descends with the water and by opening the
valve I admits steam to the cylinder H, whereby the piston h¹ is raised lifting the
weighted lever F and with it the spindle a, which thus relieves the pressure on
the feed valve A; and the water from the feed pipe C thereupon raises the valve
and passes through the valve orifice into the casing E and therefrom by the pipe O
to the interior of the boiler through the shell of which, said pipe enters and dips

page_text: considerably under the normal water level. When the normal water level is
again attained the valve I closes, the steam in the cylinder H escapes by a relief
cock and the weighted lever F descends and presses the feed valve A on its seat
whereby the supply of feed water is stopped.
In the modification of my improved self acting feed apparatus shown in
figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 the feed valve A is directly acted on by the steam cylinder H,
whose piston rod forms the valve spindle a, and is connected to the under side of
the piston h¹ while a helical spring F¹ fitted between an adjustable cross bar P and
the upper side of the piston takes the place of the weighted lever (F) in keeping
the feed valve A normally closed. A pipe provided with a stop valve q,
communicates between the cylinder H and the steam space of the boiler, the lower
end of said pipe where it is connected to the boiler shell being provided with a
valve I connected to a float M by which it is opened when the water in the boiler
sinks below the desired level the arrangement for operating the valve I being
similar to that described with reference to figure 1. The opening of the valve I
admits steam through the pipe Q to act on the piston h¹ whereby the spindle a, is
raised and allows the valve A to rise against the boiler pressure to admit water to
the boiler through the pipe O until the desired level is again reached when the
valve I closes and the spring F' forces down the piston h¹ to close the valve A, the
extent of opening of the valve being regulated by a stop p.
In the applications of my improved apparatus shown in figures 4 and 5 the
valve chest E through which the feed water passes from the feed pipe is connected
to discharge directly into the boiler the apparatus being provided with a flange
by which it is bolted to the boiler shell. The float M is connected by a vertical
rod to the valve I which admits steam through the pipe Q to the cylinder H to
relieve the feed valve.
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 combination of parts constituting the improved self acting feed water
regulating apparatus for steam boilers under its several modifications substantially
as herein described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In self acting feed water apparatus for steam boilers, the combination with
the feed valve of a steam piston acting either directly thereon or through inter-
mediate mechanism and adapted to relieve said valve when the water in the boiler
sinks below the normal level substantially as herein described.
3. In self acting feed water apparatus for steam boilers the combination with
the feed valve and mechanism for maintaining the same normally closed, of an
actuating piston and a steam admission valve controlled by a float, whereby the
feed valve is relieved when the water in the boiler sinks below the normal level
substantially as herein described.
Dated th: Terrand days of Dicember 100%