Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Controlling the Delivery of Feed Water to Steam Boilers and the Discharge of Water of Condensation from Steam Traps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Controlling the Delivery
of Feed Water to Steam Boilers and the Discharge of Water of
Condensation from Steam Traps.
I, LOUIS PHILIPPE JEAN ANDRÉ HECTOR MESSIER, Director of The National
Powder Works, Ripault-by-Montbazon, (Indre-et-Loire) France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The principle of my invention is as follows:-If a pipe void of air lead upwards
from the interior of a steam boiler under pressure the lower end of the pipe being
open at the normal water level and the upper end closed it will be filled alternately
with water or steam according as the water level is above or below the open end of
the tube. The pressure at the top of the tube is not the same in the two cases,
since when the tube is filled with steam the pressure at the top will be sensibly the
same as that in the boiler whereas when the tube is full of water the pressure at
the top will be less than that in the boiler to an extent equal to the head of the
column of water contained in the tube. Thus with the same boiler pressure the
pressure at the top of the tube will have two different values, according as the tube
is filled with water or steam. By applying the pressure at the top of the tube to
act as motive power and by opposing to it a force which is absolutely constant, or
which is constant for a given pressure in the boiler the resultant of the two forces
will be variable in dimension and may even be variable in direction if the opposing
force is comprised between the two pressure values at the top of the tube.
thus avail myself of this resultant for producing mechanical effects variable in
dimension and also in direction upon pistons, valves, diaphragms, membranes,
spiral or spring tubes, etc., for the purpose of actuating the apparatus of my
invention,
may
The opposing force may be taken from the boiler by employing a second tube
rising from a part of the boiler constantly filled with steam, such an arrangement
being represented in an elementary form in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings
in which A is the boiler and a bc the first tube whose lower extremity a is open to
the boiler at the normal water level cy and ef the second tube rising from the
tope of the steam space of the boiler. Suppose, for example, the motor to consist
of a chamber B divided into two parts by a diaphragm mn and that the two tubes
are in communication with said casing on opposite sides of the diaphragm. It will
be seen that the tube e f being always filled with steam the pressure will be equal
on both sides of the diaphragm if the tube a b c be also filled with steam, that is to
say when the level of the water in the boiler is below the lower open end of the
tube a b c But when the tube abc is full of water, which occurs when the water
level in the boiler is above the lower end a of said tube, the pressure on the face
of the diaphragm corresponding to tube abc will be less than that upon the other
face by an amount equal to the pressure of a columu of water of the height a c.
is, however, of greater advantage that the opposing force, instead of being
alternately greater than, and equal to, the other, should be alternately greater than,
and less than, the other, as in this case the resultant of the two pressures upon the
diaphragm will be directed alternately in one and in the other direction and the
diaphragm will be pressed alternately in the one and the opposite direction. Figure 2
represents an arrangement in which these conditions are present. The two ascending
tubes abc and ef have descending members c d and fg in communication with the
chamber B on opposite sides of the diaphragm mn. These descending members are
It

page_text: always filled with water, either by being filled beforehand or by condensation of
the steam. The highest point f of the second tube being lower than the highest
point c of the first tube and the ascending member ef being constantly full of
steam, it will be evident that when the water level in the boiler is below the open
end a of the first tube and the ascending member abc is also full of steam the
pressure in the compartment of chamber B which is in communication with the
tube a bed will be greater than that in the compartment communicating with
the tube efg inasmuch as the pressures at the points c and fare the same and the
column of liquid ed is higher than the column fg. On the other hand when the
water level in the boiler is higher than the open end a of the first tube the ascending
member bc of said tube fills with water and the pressure at point d, which is that
exerted upon the upper face of the diaphragm, is the same as the pressure at the
point of the ascending member abc situated at the same height as point d, that
is to say, in the present case, less than the boiler pressure, the minus difference
being equal to the pressure of the column of water of the height a bk. On the
other hand the pressure on the opposite side of the diaphragm is greater than the
boiler pressure exerted at point of the tube because to this pressure is added that
of the column of water fg. The total difference is thus equal to the pressure of
a column of water whose height would be fg + a k, that is sensibly equal to the
height of point fabove the level of the water in the boiler. In this example the
chamber B is supposed to be placed above the water level in the boiler. If,
however, it be placed at the same or at a lower level the same action would take
place and it would always be found that when the lower end a of the first tube is
open to the steam the pressure at d is greater than that at g and that the plus
difference is equal to the pressure of a column of water equal to the difference in
vertical height of the points e and f. It will also be seen that when the open
end a of the first tube is immersed in the water the pressure at point d is less than
the pressure at point g and that the minus difference is always equal to the pressure
of a column of water equal in height to the height of point above the level of
the water in the boiler.
In all the above reasoning the thickness of the diaphragm has been neglected
which is tantamount to supposing the points d and to be sensibly at the same
height. When the level of the water in the boiler, after having been above the
open end a of the first tube falls below this point the steam enters with difficulty
the ascending member abc which is full of water, if said member be of small
diameter, and in order to facilitate emptying the member a be an auxiliary tube cj
(Figure 3) is connected by the upper extremity to the top of the ascending member
of the first tube and has its lower extremity immersed to a certain depth below the
normal water level in the boiler. When the water falls below the extremity a of
the first tube, the water is quickly siphoned out through the auxiliary tube which
empties also down to the normal water level. A purge cock is placed at the top of
the first tube for discharging the air when the boiler is put under pressure. The
purge cock may also be placed at point within reach of the boilerman, by
connecting a small tube ril to the top of the first tube. Instead of the tubes
entering the boiler they may connect with a separate chamber in such communication
with the water and steam spaces of the boiler that the water in both shall be
always of the same level. It has been shewn how the diaphragm in chamber B is
pushed in the one or other direction according as the level of the water in the boiler
is above or below the open end a of the first tube and it will be understood that if
a rod E F (Figure 3) be attached to the centre of the diaphragm, the apparatus B
may be applied to act as a motor for actuating various devices. Thus when the
boiler has a continuously-acting feed apparatus it may be applied to regulate the
feed by directing the water either into the boiler or into the tank from which
the feed water is drawn and when the feed is intermittent it may serve to set the
feed apparatus in action when the water in the boiler falls below its normal level.
For example, it may start the feed pump or supply steam either to a donkey-
engine or to a self-priming injector. Or it may be applied to actuate a steam-trap,

page_text: that is to say if instead of a boiler it is connected to a closed chamber containing
water of condensation at a certain level and steam above, it may effect the
automatic discharge of the water of condensation by unclosing (when the water
in the chamber rises above the level at which the first tube enters it) an orifice .at
which the water of condensation is allowed to escape.
I will now describe in detail an example of a feed regulator of which the general
arrangement is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein A is the boiler, T¹ the first tube,
cj the auxiliary tube for syphoning out the tube T', T2 the second tube, B the
motor or operating device, as before explained, u are two expansion chambers of
the same capacity, the volume of each being greater than the volume generated by
the displacement of the diaphragm contained in chamber B, so that the descending
members of tubes T' and T2 always remain filled with liquid. li is the blow-off*
pipe.
Referring to the detail section shewn in Figure 4, the operating device is formed
by a cast-iron box or casing Z Z formed in halves bolted together and clamping
between their edges a rubber or other diaphragm A B the centre portion of which
is clamped between metal plates CD having a central stem EF suitably guided.
The diaphragm ABCD divides the casing into two chambers G H communicating
the one with tube T¹ and the other with tube T. The stem E F which passes up
through a stuffing box in the top of the casing acts on a lever I K which acts in
turn upon the stem L M of a valve P which, when closed on its seat, closes
communication between the two chambers RS. The chamber R communicates
with a pipe mn branched on to the delivery pipe pq (Figure 3) of the boiler feed
apparatus (pump or other continuous acting apparatus) and the chamber S
communicates with a pipe X Y (Figure 4) opening either into the air or into the
tank from which the feed water is drawn. When the water level in the boiler is
below the normal, the rising member of tube T' is full of steam as well as the
rising member of tube T2 but the point e being higher than point (Figure 3) the
pressure of the liquid column c d overcomes that of columu fg and the diaphragm
is pressed down upon the bottom of the box, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4. The
stem EF being then in its lowest position the stem L M of valve P is free and
the valve is closed by the combined action of spring U (Figure 4) and of the
pressure on the back of the valve of the feed water delivered by the feed pump or
other apparatus. The feed water is thus forced into the boiler through the check
valve t (Figure 3). When the water rises above the normal level in the boiler,
the rising member of tube T¹ fills with water, the pressure transmitted through
tube T exceeds that transmitted through tube T₁ and the diaphragm is raised
carrying with it the stem EF, oscillating lever I K, and pressing down the
stem LM of valve P thus putting chamber R in communication with chamber S
and the water delivered by the feed apparatus, instead of entering the boiler,
flows away by the pipe X Y either to waste or back into the feed tank.
Figures 5 and 6 represent a modification of the apparatus in which the diaphragmn
spindle E F is jointed to a lever I K keyed on the spindle L M of a rotary slide
valve P consisting of an apertured disc pressed upon a correspondingly-apertured
seat by a spring U bearing against the boss of lever I K. The valve box
comprises two chambers R and S, separated by the valve seat Q, which are put
in communication when the orifices in the valve P coincide with those of the
seat Q, the communication being shut off when the solid parts of the valve cover
the orifices in the seat. The chamber R communicates with the feed delivery
pipe while chamber S communicates with the pipe X Y leading to the reservoir or
tank from which the feed water is supplied. The rotary valve performs the same
function as the valve P represented in Figure 4. The pipes Ti T2 communicate
respectively, as in Figure 4, with the compartments G and H at Z¹ Z² where stop-
cocks are provided for cutting off the communications when the apparatus is not in
action. The lever I K is keyed in such position upon the spindle L M of the
rotary valve that the chambers R and S will be put in communication when the
diaphragm is at the highest point of its course, that is to say when the water in

page_text: -
the boiler is above the normal level, in which case the feed water delivered is
returned to the tank. When the water in the boiler is below the normal level the
diaphragm falls and the rotary valve closes the communication between the
chambers R and S, the water being thus forced to pass into the boiler, as before
explained with reference to Figure 4.
Figures 7 8 and 9 represent another modification of the apparatus. In this arrange-
ment the lever I K which is jointed to the stem EF of the diaphragm instead of
being keyed upon the spindle of a rotary valve is keyed upon the spindle J of a
cam finger T which bears against the end of the spindle L M of a valve P
interposed between the two chambers RS of a valve box Q. A spring U closes
the valve P on its seat when the cam finger T is moved downwards. The action
is the same as that of the two preceding arrangements, that is to say the lever I K
is keyed upon spindle J in such position that the finger T will lift the spindle of
valve P when the diaphragm is at the top of its stroke and will allow the valve l'
to close on its seat when the diaphragm descends.
In the apparatus represented in Figures 7 8 and 9 a compound valve is employed,
that is to say a small valve p is seated centrally in the larger valve the stem of the
smaller valve being received within, and slightly longer than, the tubular stein of
the larger valve. When the cam finger T rises it first bears against the stem of
the small valve p and lifts it after which it comes against the end of the tubular
stem of the large valve and raises that also. The advantage of this is that a
comparatively slight effort is required to lift the small valve and when this is done
equilibrium of pressure is established in chambers R and S so that the valve P no
longer encounters any resistance in rising. In small apparatus the valve P would
be so small that the small auxiliary valve would be dispensed with.
Instead of the apparatus being employed to control the delivery or return of
the water to the feed-water tank it may serve for establishing or cutting off the
delivery to the boiler: In this case the pipe X Y leading from chamber S instead
of opening into the tank from which the feed water is drawn would connect with
the boiler check valve so that the feed to the boiler will take place when
communication is opened between the chambers R and S and will cease when the
communication is cut off, but in this case it is necessary that the communication
should be opened when the boiler is to be fed instead of as in the former
arrangement when the water is to be returned to the feed water tank. For this
purpose it is only necessary to connect pipe T¹ with orifice % of compartment H
and pipe T with orifice (Figures 5 and 7). The movements of the diaphragın
in this case would be exactly the reverse of those which took place when the
tubes TT were oppositely connected to the compartments, the diaphragm rising
when the water level in the boiler falls below the end of pipe T and falling when
the water rises above the end of said pipe. It is advantageous to provide the
delivery pipe with an overflow or safety valve to allow the water to escape when
communication between the chambers RS is cut off and the water cannot pass to
the boiler.
D, Figures 5 6 and 7, is a hand-hole closed by a cover secured by bolts at which
compartment H may be cleaned out from time to time when the feed water is
dirty. The cock fitted at orifice C also serves for cleaning out this compartment.
The apparatus might also serve to control the return to the feed reservoir or
tank even when pipe T' connects with compartment H and pipe T2 with com-
partment G but in this case the angle at which lever I K (Figures 5 6 7 8 and 9)
is keyed on the spindle of the rotary or other valve should be such that
communication is opened between chambers R and S when the diaphragm is at its
lowest, and closed when it is at its highest, position. The diaphragm has been
before described as formed of a rigid metallic disc and of a flexible membrane of
rubber or fabric, but it will be understood that it may be made wholly flexible and
of metal or other material. The diaphragm may also be replaced by a piston
whose rod when the piston is moved in one or other direction would act in the same
manner as the spindle E F of the diaphragm.

page_text: The apparatus instead of controlling the feed to a boiler may also be used for
automatically emptying the water of condensation from a steam trap, it being only
necessary for this purpose to connect the tube leading to chamber R of the
apparatus before described with the bottom of the steam trap whilst the pipe X Y
is freely open. When the water level in the steam trap is above the lower end of
pipe T whose opposite end is in communication with the compartment G the
diaphragm will rise and establish communication between chambers R and S so as
to allow the water to overflow to waste. The chamber R may also be made to
communicate with compartment G, instead of with the bottom of the steam trap so
that when communication is established between chambers R and S the water will
overflow through pipe T' and compartment G.
Lastly if one of the two apparatus represented in Figures 5 6 7 8 and 9 be
employed, the pipe T¹ may be connected with compartment H and pipe T2 with
compartment G by keying the lever I K on axis L' H in such manner that com-
munication is established between the two chambers R and S when the water level.
in the boiler is above the end a of pipe T¹.
Dated this 26th day of January 1894.
L. P. J. A. H. MESSIER,.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents..
CUMI LEIM SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Controlling the Delivery-
of Feed Water to Steam Boilers and the Discharge of Water of
Condensation from Steam Traps.
I, LOUIS PHILIPPE JEAN ANDRÉ HECTOR MESSIER, Director of The
National Powder Works, Ripault-by-Montbazon, (Indre-et-Loire) France, 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:-.
The principle of my invention is as follows:-If a pipe void of air lead upwards.
from the interior of a steam boiler under pressure the lower end of the pipe being
open at the normal water level and the upper end closed it will be filled alternately
with water or steam according as the water level is above or below the open end of
the tube. The pressure at the top of the tube is not the same in the two cases,
since when the tube is filled with steam the pressure at the top will be sensibly the.
same as that in the boiler whereas when the tube is full of water the pressure at
the top will be less than that in the boiler to an extent equal to the head of the
column of water contained in the tube. Thus with the same boiler pressure the
pressure at the top of the tube will have two different values, according as the tube.
is filled with water or steam. By applying the pressure at the top of the tube to
act as motive power and by opposing to it a force which is absolutely constant, or
which is constant for a given pressure in the boiler the resultant of the two forces
will be variable in dimension and may even be variable in direction if the opposing
force is comprised between the two pressure values at the top of the tube. I may
thus avail myself of this resultant for producing mechanical effects variable in
dimension and also in direction upon pistons, valves, diaphragms, membranes,.
spiral or spring tubes, etc., for the purpose of actuating the apparatus of my
invention.
The opposing force may be taken from the boiler by employing a second tube.
rising from a part of the boiler constantly filled with steam, such an arrangement
being represented in an elementary form in Figure 1 of the drawings accompanying
my Provisional Specification in which A is the boiler and a be the first tube-
whose lower extremity a is open to the boiler at the norinal water level y and

page_text: ef the second tube rising from the tope of the steam space of the boiler. Suppose,
for example, the operative part of the feed regulator to consist of a diaphragm m, n,
dividing a chamber B into two parts and that the two tubes are in communication
with said chamber on opposite sides of the diaphragm. It will be seen that the
tube ef being always filled with steam the pressure will be equal on both sides of
the diaphragm if the tube a be be also filled with steam, that
level of the water in the boiler is below the lower open end of the tube a
to say when the
b C. But
when the tube a bc is full of water, which occurs when the water level in the boiler
is above the lower end a of said tube, the pressure on the face of the diaphragm
corresponding to tube a be will be less than that upon the other face by an amount
equal to the pressure of a column of water of the height a c. It is, however, of
greater advantage that the opposing force, instead of being alternately greater than,
and equal to, the other, should be alternately greater than, and less than, the other,
as in this case the resultant of the two pressures upon the diaphragm will be
directed alternately in one and in the other direction and the diaphragm will be
pressed alternately in the one and the opposite direction. Figure 2 represents an
arrangement in which these conditions are present. The two ascending tubes a be
and ef have descending members ed and fg in communication with the chamber B
on opposite sides of the diaphragm mn. These descending members are always
filled with water, either by being filled beforehand or by condensation of the steam.
The highest point of the second tube being lower than the highest point e of the
first tube and the ascending member ef being constantly full of stean, it will be
evident that when the water level in the boiler is below the open end a of the first
tube and the ascending member abc is also full of steam the pressure in the
compartment of chamber B which is in communication with the tube a bed will be
greater than that in the compartment communicating with the tube efg inasmuch
as the pressures at the points c and are the same and the column of liquid c d is
higher than the column fg. On the other hand when the water level in the boiler
is higher than the open end a of the first tube the ascending member abc of said
tube fills with water and the pressure at point d, which is that exerted upon the
upper face of the diaphragm, is the same as the pressure at the point of the
ascending member a be situated at the same height as point d, that is to say, in
the present case, less than the boiler pressure, the minus difference being equal to
the pressure of the column of water of the height a bk. On the other hand the
pressure on the opposite side of the diaphragm is greater than the boiler pressure
exerted at point of the tube because to this pressure is added that of the column
of water f g.
The total difference is thus equal to the pressure of a column of
water whose height would be f+ak, that is sensibly equal to the height of
point fabove the level of the water in the boiler. In this example the chamber B
is supposed to be placed above the water level in the boiler. If, however, it be
placed at the same or at a lower level the same action would take place and it
would always be found that when the lower end a of the first tube is open to the
steam the pressure at d is greater than that at g and that the plus difference is
equal to the pressure of a column of water equal to the difference in vertical height
of the points c and f. It will also be seen that when the open end a of the first
tube is immersed in the water the pressure at point d is less than the pressure at
point g and that the minus difference is always equal to the pressure of a column of
water equal in height to the height of point fabove the level of the water in the
boiler.
In all the above reasoning the thickness of the diaphragm has been neglected
which is tantamount to supposing the points d and g to be sensibly at the same
height. When the level of the water in the boiler, after having been above the
open end a of the first tube falls below this point the steam enters with difficulty
the ascending member abc which is full of water, if said member be of small
diameter, and in order to facilitate emptying the member a be an auxiliary tube c j
(Figure 3) is connected by the upper extremity to the top of the ascending member
of the first tube and has its lower extremity immersed to a certain depth below the

page_text: normal water level in the boiler.
When the water falls below the extremity a of
the first tube, the water is quickly sipboned out through the auxiliary tube which
empties also down to the normal water level. A purge cock is placed at the top of
the first tube for discharging the air when the boiler is put under pressure. The
purge cock may also be placed at point within reach of the boilerman, by con-
necting a small tube ril to the top of the first tube. Instead of the tubes entering
the boiler they may connect with a separate chamber in such communication with
the water and steam spaces of the boiler that the water in both shall be always
of the same level. It has been shewn how the diaphragm in chamber B is pushed
in the one or other direction according as the level of the water in the boiler is
above or below the open end a of the first tube and it will be understood that if a
rod E F (Figure 3) be attached to the centre of the diaphragm, the apparatus B
may be applied to act as a motor for actuating various devices. Thus when the
boiler has a continuously-acting feed apparatus it may be applied to regulate the
feed by directing the water either into the boiler or into the tank from which the feed
water is drawn and when the feed is intermittent it may serve to set the feed
apparatus in action when the water in the boiler falls below its normal level.
example, it may start the feed pump or supply steam either to a donkey-engine or
to a self-priming injector. Or it may be applied to actuate a steam-trap, that is to
say if instead of a boiler it is connected to a closed chamber containing water of
condensation at a certain level and steam above, it may effect the automatic
discharge of the water of condensation by unclosing (when the water in the chamber
rises above the level at which the first tube enters it) an orifice at which the water
of condensation is allowed to escape.
For
I will now describe in detail an example of a feed regulator of which the general
arrangement is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein A is the boiler, T' the first tube,
c; the auxiliary tube for syphoning out the tube T1, T2 the second tube, B the
motor or operating device, as before explained, u v are two expansion chambers of
the same capacity, the volume of each being greater than the volume generated by
the displacement of the diaphragm contained in chamber B, so that the descending
members of tubes T1 and T2 always remain filled with liquid. is the blow-off
pipe.
Referring to the detail section shewn in Figure +, the operating device is formed
by a cast-iron box or casing Z Z formed in halves bolted together and clamping
between their edges a rubber or other diaphragm A B the centre portion of which
is clamped between metal plates C D having a central stem E F suitably guided.
The diaphragm ABCD divides the casing into two chambers G H communicating
the one with tube T and the other with tube T2. The stem E F which passes up
through a stuffing box in the top of the casing acts on a lever I K which acts in
turn upon the stem L M of a valve P which, when closed on its seat, closes
communication between the two chambers RS. The chamber R communicates.
with a pipe m n branched on to the delivery pipe p 9 (Figure 3) of the boiler feed
apparatus (pump or other continuous acting apparatus) and the chamber S com-
municates with a pipe X Y (Figure 4) opening either into the air or into the tank
from which the feed water is drawn. When the water level in the boiler is below
the normal, the rising member of tube T is full of steam as well as the rising
member of tube T2 but the point c being higher than pointf (Figure 3) the pressure
of the liquid column cd overcomes that of column and the diaphragm is pressed
down upon the bottom of the box, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4. The stem EF
being then in its lowest position the stem L M of valve P is free and the valve is
closed by the combined action of spring U (Figure 4) and of the pressure on the
back of the valve of the feed water delivered by the feed pump or other apparatus.
The feed water is thus forced into the boiler through the check valve t (Figure 3).
When the water rises above the normal level in the boiler, the rising member of
tube T fills with water, the pressure transmitted through tube T2 exceeds that
transmitted through tube T' and the diaphragm is raised carrying with it the
stem E F, oscillating lever I K, and pressing down the stem L M of valve P, thus

page_text: putting chamber R in communication with chamber S and the water delivered by
the feed apparatus, instead of entering the boiler, flows away by the pipe X Y
either to waste or back into the feed tank.
Figures 5 and 6 represent a modification of the apparatus in which the diaphragm
spindle E F is jointed to a lever 1 K keyed on the spindle L M of a rotary slide
valve P consisting of an apertured disc pressed upon a correspondingly-apertured
seat Q by a spring U bearing against the boss of lever I K. The valve box
comprises two chambers R and S, separated by the valve seat Q, which are put in
-communication when the orifices in the valve P coincide with those of the seat Q,
the communication being shut off when the solid parts of the valve cover the
orifices in the seat. The chamber R communicates with the feed delivery pipe
while chamber S communicates with the pipe X Y leading to the reservoir or tank
from which the feed water is supplied. The rotary valve performs the same
function as the valve P represented in Figure 4. The pipes T¹ T2 communicate
respectively, as in Figure 4, with the compartments G and H at Z' Z³ where stop
cocks are provided for cutting off the communications when the apparatus is not in
action. The lever I K is keyed in such position upon the spindle L M of the
rotary valve that the chambers R and S will be put in communication when the
diaphragm is at the highest point of its course, that is to say when the water in
the boiler is above the normal level, in which case the feed water delivered is
returned to the tank. When the water in the boiler is below the normal level the
diaphragm falls and the rotary valve closes the communication between the
chambers R and S, the water being thus forced to pass into the boiler, as before
explained with reference to Figure 4.
Figures 7 8 and 9 represent another modification of the apparatus. In this
arrangement the lever IK which is jointed to the stem E F of the diaphragm
instead of being keyed upon the spindle of a rotary valve is keyed upon the spindle J
of a cam finger T which bears against the end of the spindle L M of a valve P
interposed between the two chambers RS of a valve box Q. A spring U closes
the valve P on its seat when the cam finger T is moved downwards. The action is
the same as that of the two preceding arrangements, that is to say the lever I K is
keyed upon spindle J in such position that the finger T will lift the spindle of
valve P when the diaphragm is at the top of its stroke and will allow the valve P
to close on its seat when the diaphragm descends.
In the apparatus represented in Figures 7 8 and 9 a compound valve is employed,
that is to say a small valve p is seated centrally in the larger valve P the stem of
the smaller valve being received within, and slightly longer than, the tubular stem
of the larger valve. When the cam finger T rises it first bears against the stem of
the small valve p and lifts it after which it comes against the end of the tubular
stem of the large valve and raises that also. The advantage of this is that a
comparatively slight effort is required to lift the small valve and when this is done
equilibrium of pressure is established in chambers R and S so that the valve P no
longer encounters any resistance in rising. In small apparatus the valve P would
be so small that the small auxiliary valve p would be dispensed with.
Instead of the apparatus being employed to control the delivery or return of the
water to the feed-water tank it may serve for establishing or cutting off the
delivery to the boiler. In this case the pipe X Y leading from chamber S instead
of opening into the tank from which the feed water is drawu would connect with
the boiler check valve so that the feed to the boiler will take place when com-
munication is opened between the chambers R and S and will cease when the
communication is cut off, but in this case it is necessary that the communication
should be opened when the boiler is to be fed instead of as in the former arrange-
ment when the water is to be returned to the feed water tank. For this purpose
it is only necessary to connect pipe T₁ with orifice Z of compartment H and pipe T
with orifice Z of compartment G (Figures 5 and 7). The movements of the
diaphragm in this case would be exactly the reverse of those which took place
when the tubes T T were oppositely connected to the compartments, the diaphragm

page_text: rising when the water level in the boiler falls below the end of pipe T' and falling
when the water rises above the end of said pipe. It is advantageous to provide
the delivery pipe with an overflow or safety valve to allow the water to escape
when communication between the chambers R S is cut off and the water cannot
pass to the boiler.
D, Figures 56 and 7, is a hand-hole closed by a cover secured by bolts at which
compartment H may be cleaned out from time to time when the feed water is dirty.
The cock fitted at orifice C also serves for cleaning out this compartment.
The apparatus might also serve to control the return to the feed reservoir or
tank even when pipe T connects with compartment H and pipe T2 with compart-
ment G but in this case the angle at which lever I K (Figures 5, 6) is keyed on the
spindle L M of the rotary or other valve should be such that communication is
opened between chambers R and S when the diaphragm is at its lowest, and
closed when it is at its highest, position.
The diaphragm has been before described as formed of a rigid metallic disc and
of a flexible membrane of rubber or fabric, but it will be understood that it may be
made wholly flexible and of metal or other material. The diaphragm may also be
replaced by a piston whose rod when the piston is moved in one or other direction
would act in the same manner as the spindle E F of the diaphragm.
The apparatus instead of controlling the feed to a boiler may also be used for
automatically emptying the water of condensation from a steam trap, it being only
necessary for this purpose to connect the tube leading to chamber R of the
apparatus before described with the bottom of the steam trap whilst the pipe X Y
is freely open. When the water level in the steam trap is above the lower end of
pipe T whose opposite end is in communication with the compartment G the
diaphragm will rise and establish communication between chambers R and S so as
to allow the water to overflow to waste. The chamber R may also be made to
communicate with compartment G, instead of with the bottom of the steam trap so
that when communication is established between chambers R and S the water will
overflow through pipe T' and compartment G.
Lastly if one of the two apparatus represented in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 be
employed, the pipe T₁ may be connected with compartment H and pipe T2 with
compartment G by keying the lever I K on axis L M (Figures 5 & 6) in such
manner that communication is established between the two chambers R and S when
the water level in the boiler is above the end a of pipe T'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
.-
1st. Controlling the supply of feed water to a steam boiler or the discharge of
water from a steam trap, by a regulator actuated by the resultant of opposing
pressures whereof the one is variable according as a rising pipe whose lower end
opens within the boiler at the normal water level contains a column of water or of
stean and the other which may be derived from the boiler is constant or constant
for a given boiler pressure, as specified.
2nd. The several arrangements of apparatus herein described for automatically
controlling the supply of feed water to a steam boiler or the discharge of water
from a steam trap, the said apparatus being actuated in the manner and according
to the principle hereinbefore described.
DO0-11004
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.