Improvements in and relating to Feed Water Heaters and Puriflers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by VIRGIL HARVEY MCCONNELL, of No. 494, Ash-
land Avenue, City of Buffalo, in the County of Eric, State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in and relating to Feed Water Heaters and Puriflers.
1, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to feed water heaters and purifiers in which the water is
heated to a high temperature before it enters the boiler, so as to liberate the lime
and other impurities from the water and facilitate the precipitation of such
impurities.
In order to avoid the deposit of sediment upon the boiler flues and the formation
of scale resulting from such deposits, it is necessary to introduce the heated feed
water into the boiler below the flues, so that any sediment remaining in the feed
water will not rise above the flues, but will settle in the bottom of the boiler, where
be readily blown off' from time to time to prevent incrustations from forming
it
may
at this point.
The object of my invention is to provide an efficient apparatus of simple con-
struction whereby the feed water is thoroughly deprived of all solid impurities
before being admitted to the boiler and which is especially applicable to locomotive
boilers, although the same is also adapted for other boilers.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a locomotive boiler provided
with my improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a similar view of a locomotive boiler provided with my improved
apparatus with the settling chamber shown in Figure 1 omitted.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a boiler in line a a, Figure 2, on
an enlarged scale, showing the water heating chambers in section.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the boiler in line y y Figure 2, showing the water
delivery pipe extending from the water heaters into the water leg of the boiler
below the flues.
Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section in line z z, Figure 1, showing the settling
chamber in section.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a boiler in line ww Figure 1,
showing the water heating chambers and settling chamber in section.
Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the mud-ring or water leg,
showing the blow off pipe on an enlarged scale.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the boiler of a locomotive; A' the steam dome; A' the water legs
on opposite sides of the combustion chamber; A³ the mud-ring, A' the smoke box
and A the flues.
BB represent water heaters or chambers preferably arranged longitudinally
within the upper portion of the boiler in the steam space, and each consisting of a
drum or cylinder closed at its ends. CC represent spray pipes arranged in the
heating chambers B B and D is the feed water supply pipe connected with the
spray pipes CC. The spray pipes C extend nearly from end to end of the heating
chambers and are provided with numerous perforations through which the feed
water is delivered into the heaters in jets or fine streams. e is a steam supply pipe
terminating with its upper open end in the steam space of the boiler, preferably in

page_text: the dome where the water is hottest, and ff are branch pipes connecting the rear
ends of the heating chambers B with the steam supply pipe e. In the steam pipe is
arranged a check valve e' which allows the steam to enter the heating chambers but
prevents the water in these chambers from passing into the boiler through the steam
supply pipe. The feed water entering the heating chambers in a finely divided
state is thoroughly mixed with the steam in the chamber, and is intensely heated,
whereby the lime and other impurities contained in the water are set free and
precipitated.
Grepresents a delivery pipe whereby the heated and partially purified feed water
is conducted from the heaters into the lower portion of the boiler, preferably to the
water legs or mud-ring as shown. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the delivery pipe G
is connected with the rear ends of the heating chambers B by branch pipes g and
extends downwardly through one of the water legs and is provided with a horizontal
branch pipe which is arranged transversely in the front portion of the water legs
and is provided within the latter with slots or perforations h¹ through which the
heated water enters the water legs. The perforated delivery pipe is preferably
arranged at the foot of the forwardly sloping mud-ring A3, so that any sediment
which settles in the water legs will drain toward the perforated. pipe and gather
around the same. The perforated branch of the delivery is preferably made flexible
and composed of a number of jointed sections which are provided at their adjacent
ends on one side with cars which are connected by pivot pins. This construction
permits the pipe to be introduced into the water leg from the top of the boiler and
to be pushed under the inner wall of the water leg and across the bottom thereof.
The horizontal branch pipe extends through the shell of the boiler and is
provided on the outer side of the boiler with a blow-off cock or valve i for
discharging impurities which accumulate in the heating chambers or the water legs
or bottom of the boiler. The blow-off cock is operated from the cab by a hand
lever and connecting rod or in any other suitable manner. The water entering the
heating chambers comes in instant contact with the steam whereby its temperature
is raised to a sufficient degree to retain and precipitate the impurities. A part of
these impurities settle in the heating chambers while the residue is carried with the
feed water to the mud ring on the bottom of the water legs where it is precipitated
while the purified water mingles with the water in the boiler.
In Figures 15 and 6 I have shown a settling chamber K arranged in the smoke
box of the boiler, and into which the partly purified water from the heating
chambers may be conducted before it enters the delivery pipe G. This settling
chamber, as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, consists of an enlarged hollow base k
arranged transversely in the smoke box and provided at one end with a descending
inlet pipe and at its opposite end with an ascending pipe k². These pipes are
connected at their upper ends by a horizontal circulating pipe k³. The upper end
of the delivery inlet pipe is connected with the water heating chambers B by a
pipe whereby the heated water in these chambers is conducted to the separating
chambers. The delivery pipe G is connected with the upper end of the ascending
pipe where by the purified water from the settling chamber is conducted to the
bottom of the boiler.
m is a shield or deflector arranged in the upper portion of the descending pipe of
the settling chamber on the inner side of the mouth of the inlet pipe & and depending
below the horizontal pipe ³, so as to direct the incoming feed water downwardly in
the inlet pipe. m' is a similar shield arranged in the upper portion of the
ascending pipe in front of the outlet thereof, and whereby the water which passes
through the horizontal pipe 3 is directed downwardly in the ascending pipe, so as
to retard its escape from the settling chamber.
n represents a strainer plate arranged horizontally in the enlarged base of the
settling chamber, and which extends from the outlet end of the enlarged base to
within a short distance of the inlet end thereof, so as to leave a passage n¹ between
the end of the strainer plate and the adjacent wall of the settling chamber, through

page_text: which the water enters the portion of the settling chamber underneath the strainer
plate. The water entering the descending inlet pipe passes into the enlarged base
of the settling chamber and ascends through the perforated strainer plate into the
outlet pipe, from which latter it passes to the boiler through the delivery pipe G.
The lime and other solid impurities remaining in the water settle in the bottom of
the settling chamber, being intercepted by the strainer plate and prevented from
again commingling with the purified water.
in the bottom of the settling chamber, thereby thoroughly purifying the water
A portion of the sediment is collected
before it enters the boiler and avoiding the deposit of scale upon the flues and the
boiler shell. The upper horizontal pipe of the settling chamber forms a
connection between the upright pipes of the chamber, establishing with said
pipes and the hollow base a continuous passage, through which the water circulates
before escaping from the settling chamber.
P represents a blow-off pipe connected with the bottom of the settling chamber
and having a suitable blow-off cock. Upon opening this blow-off cock the steam
pressure expels the water from the heaters into the settling chamber and from the
latter through the blow-off cock, the water carrying with it any sediment which has
collected in the heater and the settling chamber. whereby the apparatus is
thoroughly cleaned. Upon closing the blow-off cock of the settling chamber the
water in the heaters and the settling chamber is discharged through the blow-off of
the delivery pipe G. This also creates a suction through the perforated portion of
the delivery pipe, whereby any sediment lodging in the water leg or mud-ring
around the delivery pipe is discharged from the boiler. When the blow-off of the
delivery pipe is closed and that of the settling chamber opened, a suction is created
through the delivery pipe and the sediment is discharged from the water leg in the
same manner as it is discharged by opening the blow-off of the delivery pipe and
closing that of the settling chamber.
By arranging the settling chamber in the smoke box of the boiler the same is not
only readily applicable to existing boilers, easily accessible for making repairs, and
protected from the weather, but it is heated to a considerable degree, thereby
maintaining the feed water at almost the high temperature at which it comes
from the heater and facilitating the precipitation of the sediment in the settling
chamber.
The horizontal branch of the delivery pipe G may be provided with a single
exit opening; but it is preferably perforated because by this construction the feed
water is caused to enter the boiler in numerous small streams which do not agitate
or disturb the sediment collected about the pipe.
It will be observed that in my improved apparatus the feed water delivery pipe
also serves as a discharge pipe for blowing off the sediment thus rendering the
apparatus very simple in construction. By the use of my apparatus the feed water
is purified and delivered into the boiler in such a manner that no sediment reaches
the flues, and such impurities as enter the boiler settle in a place from which they
may be readily and thoroughly discharged.
In blowing off it is not necessrry to shut off the supply of water to the heaters,
and the pumps or injectors may be kept in constant operation without requiring
any extra care on the part of the engineer.
Two heaters are shown in the drawings; but it is obvious that a single heater
nay be employed, if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination with a steam boiler, of a closed feed water heater, a
team supply pipe connected with said heater, a spray device arranged in said
cater and connected with the feed water pipe, whereby the feed water is delivered
nto the heater in fine streams, a feed water delivery pipe extending from said

page_text: heater to the lower portion of the boiler and provided near its lower end with a
discharge opening, whereby the feed water is delivered into the lower portion of
the boiler, and a blow-off valve arranged in said delivery pipe outside of the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination, with a steam boiler, of a feed water heater com-
municating with the steam space of the boiler, whereby the water in said heater is
heated by the steam entering the same, a spray device arranged in said heater,
whereby the feed water is delivered into the heater in a finely divided state, and
a delivery pipe connected with said water heater and terminating in the lower
portion of the boiler, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a boiler having a water leg provided with a
sloping bottom, of a water heater arranged in the steam space of the boiler and
communicating with the steam space, a spray pipe arranged in the heater, whereby
the feed water is delivered into the heater in fine streams a delivery pipe connected
with said water heater and provided with a perforated horizontal branch arranged in
the water leg at the foot of its inclined bottom and extending through the shell of
the boiler, and a blow-off valve arranged in said branch outside of the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke-box, of a water
heating chamber arranged in the steam space of the boiler and communicating with
the steam space, a settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and receiving the
hot water from said heating chamber, and a pipe whereby the purified water is
conducted from the settling chamber to the boiler, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a feed water
heater whereby the water is heated to liberate the solid impurities contained in the
water, a settling chamber arranged in the smoke-box connected with said water
heater and provided with a blow-off cock, and a delivery pipe whereby the
purified water is conducted from the settling chamber to the boiler, substantially
as set forth.
Sixth. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a vertical
settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and consisting of a hollow base
provided with a descending inlet pipe and an ascending discharge pipe a feed pipe
connected with the descending inlet of the settling chamber, and a delivery pipe
leading from the ascending outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a vertical
settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and consisting of a hollow base
provided with a descending inlet pipe, an ascending discharge pipe, and a strainer
arranged in the hollow base which intercepts the solid impurities in the water, a
feed pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling chamber, and a
delivery pipe leading from the ascending outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially
as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a vertical
settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and consisting of a hollow base
provided with a descending inlet pipe, an ascending discharge pipe, and at its
bottom with a blow-off cock a feed pipe connected with the descending inlet of the
settling chamber, and a delivery pipe leading from the ascending outlet thereof to
the boiler, substantially as set forth.
Ninth: The combination with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a vertical
settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and consisting of a hollow base
provided with a descending inlet pipe, an ascending discharge pipe, and a horizontal
pipe connecting the upper portions of the descending and ascending pipes, a
feed pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling chamber, and a
delivery pipe leading from the ascending outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially
as set forth.
Tenth. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke box, of a vertical
settling chamber arranged in the smoke box and consisting of a hollow base

page_text: provided with a descending inlet pipe, an ascending discharge pipe, and a horizontal
pipe connecting the upper portions of the descending and ascending pipes, and
shields or deflectors arranged in the upper portions of the inlet and outlet pipes of
the settling chamber, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of April 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.