Improvements in Steam Injectors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Injectors.
I, THOMAS JOHN SWEENEY, Inventor and Superintendent, of 387, 15th Street in
Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM INJECTORS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention is directed to certain improvements in steam injectors having for its
object to simplify construction and promote convenience in cleaning the spill holes
or apertures in the combining tube, as also to effect the seating of the valve wholly
by the action of the vacuum in the lifting tube, in lieu of operating it by the force of
the water acting thereon, thus dispensing with the use of a sleeve hitherto employed
to support the valve, and to provide a water chamber or jacket around the combining
tube for the direction of the water against the valve. A further object of my invention
is to permit the running of the injector with or without the valve, as may be desired.
The invention consists in supporting the valve directly upon the combining tube, in
close proximity to the lower edge of the lifting tube or chamber, a slight space
however, being provided between said valve and tube or chamber, and in adapting
the injector for use with or without the lifting valve, ali as will more fully appear
from the following description and the accompanying illustration in which :
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same as applied for use.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views thereof.
In
In carrying out my invention I employ a tubular casting or casing A having
arms a a a. The arm a has suitable pipe connection with the source or supply of water,
and the arm a¹ has similar connection with the boiler to be supplied with water.
the branch or arm a² is disposed the overflow valve, more fully referred to farther on.
B is the steam jet pipe arranged in that end of the casting or casing A connected
with the steam chamber of the boiler, the passage of which is preferably of the contour
shown in Figure 1, being more or less contracted or tapering upward to a certain
point below its upper end.
C is the water supply chamber, and C is the overflow water chamber, separated
by an apertured partition (2. Dis the lifting tube which is rigidly secured in the
aperture of the partition C and which is formed with an enlargement in the
form of a cylindric chamber d having its upper or one end in contact with the said
partition C.
E is the combining tube, which has a central tapering aperture e and at its lower
end, where said combining tube is formed integral with the delivery tube F are a series
of small apertures termed the spill apertures.
The delivery tube F has at its point of conjunction with the combining tube E an
external ring or flange el the purpose of both which and the spill apertures will be
seen presently.
The upper end of the combining tube projects within the chamber of the lifting
tube, within a short distance of the central aperture thereof.
His a small lifting valve or disk flat on both its upper and lower surfaces. This
valve is closely fitted on the upper end of the narrow portion of the combining tube E
its underside resting on a shoulder F on the combining tube; and when thus resting
on the said shoulder of the tube E a small space is left between the upper hori-
zontal face of the valve or disk and the lower edge of the chamber of the lifting
tube D.
From this arrangement of the lifting valve viz. closely fitting it upon the com-
bining tube a guide is formed for the seating of the valve upon the lower end of

page_text: The overflow water chamber Chas a circular flange formed at a point
immediately adjacent to the inner end of the arm or branch a' and against this
flange bears the upper surface of the ring or washer e¹ of the delivery tube, the
same being retained thereat by means of a plug 13 screwed in the lower portion of the
injector, so as to cause its upper edge to bear against the ring or washer. This
upper portion of the plug is provided with suitable apertures to permit the escape
of water from the interior of the plug to the branch or arm leading to the boiler,
as will appear farther on. Within the lateral curved arm a² is disposed the overflow
valve I the same consisting of a disk seated over the overflow hole or opening "
formed in the wall of the casting or casing at this point. The disk has a solid
extension or stem y upon which is passed the apertured end of an arın 1. The other
end of said arm I is pivoted by a small cross bar or rod y¹ secured at its ends in
apertured lugs formed upon the upper portion of each side wall of the curved lateral
arm a².
After passing the apertured end of arın I' on the stem or extension a small
pin, is passed through a transverse aperture in said stem, securing the disk or
valve fin place thereon.
The outer end of the wall or casing of the overflow hole or opening is adapted
to enable the valve, when in its normal position, to stand in an outwardly and down-
wardly inclined position, thus always insuring, principally by gravity, the automatic
seating of the valve over the overflow hole or opening. The stem or extension
slotted in its outer end the same as a screw head, to receive the bit of a screw driver
for the purpose of re-seating the valve at any time.
is
The curved lateral arm u² is fitted with a screw cap a³ screwing into a screw
threaded nozzle like opening in said arm, permitting ready access to the overflow
valve.
Steam admitted into the jet pipe B passes through the tapered passage thereof, into
the lifting tube D thus lifting the water into the supply chamber C. The water then
passes through the lifting tube and out into the overflow chamber (that, however,
entering the combining tube passing through the spill apertures e² in the lower end of
the combining tube and thence into the overflow chamber. The vacuum within the
chamber D seats the valve H against the lower edge of the chamber D thus cutting
off the inflow of hot water over the mouth of the combining tube, enabling the injector
to be started with a low pressure of steam.
Upon the injector starting, the hot water stops flowing through the spill
apertures e². In event the valve H should retain its seat upon the chamber D the
steam jet, upon the re-starting of the injector will force the valve down upon the
shoulder of the combining tube until removed by the vacuum in the chamber D. The
water which passes into the overflow chamber opens the overflow valve I and passes off.
The steam and water, when the injector is in action, pass through the delivery
tube, and into the hollow plug 13 and thence through the apertures i of the latter, and
finally into the water chamber of the boiler.
Among other advantages of this invention is to be mentioned the dispensing with
the use of a sleeve for supporting the lifting valve and the avoidance of the use of a
separate water chamber or jacket to direct, as hitherto practiced, the water against the
valve as a means to aid the closing or seating of the valve, in this invention as herein-
before stated, the vacuum wholly lifting the valve. Besides it permits of ready or
easy access to the spill holes e in the combining tube to allow of the ready cleaning
of the same.
It will also be observed that in this injector I am enabled to run the
same either with or without the lifting valve thus, in the latter case, permitting of
working the injector with a hotter water supply as also at higher pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The steam injector, having the lifting valve supported directly upon the com-
bining tube which serves as a guide for said valve, substantially as and for the
Durnose set forth

page_text: 2. The steam injector, having the lifting valve supported directly upon the
combining tube and seated wholly by the action of the vacuum in the lifting tube or
chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The steam injector, having the delivery tube provided with spill apertures
discharging directly into the overflow water chamber, substantially as set forth.
4. The steam injector, provided with the lifting valve seated upon the combining
tube, in combination with the overflow water chamber valve, substantially as set
forth.
5. The steam injector, adapted for use with or without the lifting valve, thus, in
the latter case, working with a hotter water supply as also at a higher pressure,
substantially as set forth.
6. The steam injector, having the integral delivery and combining tube provided at
their point of conjunction with a ring or washer resting against a flange of the
overflow chamber, the combining tube having unenclosed spill apertures and a shoulder
carrying the lifting valve, substantially as set forth.
7. The steam injector having the lifting valve consisting of a disk having plain
upper and lower surfaces, in combination with the combining tube and vacuum
chamber, said valve normally resting wholly upon a sboulder of the combining tube
and arranged below the vacuum chamber, a narrow space being provided between
said disk or valve and the lower edge of said vacuum chamber, substantially as shown
and described.
8. In a steam injector the combination with the tubular casing having the overflow
water chamber provided at its bottom with an unthreaded circular flange, and the
hollow plug arranged in alignment with the overflow water chamber provided at its
bottom with an unthreaded circular flange, and the hollow plug arranged in alignment
with the overflow water chamber of the integral combining and delivery tube
formed with an unthreaded ring or flange of the overflow water chamber, and its
lower side resting upon the upper edge of said plug, substantially as set forth.
London
Anund 1000
THOMAS JOHN SWEENEY.
Per C. R. Bonne & Co.,
41, Eastcheap, E.C., Patent Agents.