IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FEED-WATER APPARATUS 65 FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER GENERALLY."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, in the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FEED-WATER APPARATUS
65
FOR STEAM
BOILERS, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RAISING AND
FORCING WATER GENERALLY." A communication from Alfred Mayhew,
Engineer, of Hamburg, and Wilhelm Ritter, Machine Builder, of Altona,
both in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd August
1880.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FEED-WATER
City of Hamburg, Germany.
APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
A communication from Alfred
RAISING AND FORCING WATER GENERALLY."
Mayhew, Engineer, of Hamburg, and Wilhelm Ritter, Machine Builder, of Altona,
both in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to certain improvements in automatic feed water
apparatus, which Invention is also applicable for raising and forcing water
generally.
This apparatus, which may be nearly entirely made of cast iron, consists of a
foot or bed-plate which carries a bottle or bell shaped chamber widening at the
bottom. The top of this chamber is furnished with a valve balanced by means of
Below the valve
a spiral spring, and is in connection with the steam of a boiler.
seat the chamber is connected by a pipe to the top of a reservoir, which is at its
bottom end in connection with a pipe leading into the boiler and ending just below
As long as sufficient water is in the
the normal level of the water of the boiler.
boiler by the pressure of the steam water is forced into the reservoir, and a float placed
within the latter closes by means of a valve or needle the opening of the narrow
pipe leading to the chamber before mentioned. As soon, however, as the level of the
water in the boiler falls below the normal height steam passes into the reservoir, the

page_text: float falls, and the inlet to the chamber is open for the steam. This steam, supported by
the action of the spiral spring, overcomes the direct steam pressure on the top valvo
of the chamber and opens this valve. Consequently direct steam rushes into the
chamber and forces the water contained in the chamber through a check valvo
partly into the boiler and partly into an air vessel which is in connection with the
bottom of the valve chamber. In passing from the top downward through the valve
chamber the direct steam partly condenses, and as the connection pipe between
valve chamber and float reservoir is very narrow, and allows only a small quantity
of steam to pass into the former, the top valve is, after a certain timo, closed by
the pressure of the direct steam. The steam contained in the chamber more and
more condenses, and the water from the air vessel re-enters the valve chamber and
completes the condensation of this steam, and produces a vacuum in the valve
chamber, in consequence of which new feed water from a well or tank enters
through a check valve or clack into the valve chamber. After the latter has been
supplied with water the steam from the float reservoir is again enabled to raise
the top valve, and new direct steam enters the valve chamber and forces in the
same manner, as before described, a further quantity of water partly into the boiler
and partly into the air vessel. This play of the apparatus will repeat as long as
steam is allowed to enter the float chamber, but it will cease as soon as water is
forced into this chamber, which occurs at the moment where the level of the water
of the boiler reaches the normal height, and shuts the steam off from the mouth of
the pipe leading from the float-chamber into the boiler.
Instead of forcing water into a boiler and using the apparatus as a feeder the
latter may be employed as lifter or conveyor of water or other liquids for any
other purpose, like an ordinary pressure pump.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd February 1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FEED WATER
APPARATUS, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RAISING AND FORCING
WATER GENERALLY." A communication from Alfred Mayhew, Engineer, of
Hamburg, and Wilhelm Ritter, Machine Builder, of Altona, both in the Empire
of Germany.
This Invention relates to certain improvements in automatic feed-water
apparatus, which Invention is also applicable for raising and forcing water
generally.
This apparatus, which may be nearly entirely made of cast iron, consists of a
foot or bed plate which carries a bottle or bell shaped chamber widening at the
bottom. The top of this chamber is furnished with a valve balanced by means of
a spiral spring or otherwise, and is in connection with the steam of a boiler. Below

page_text: the valve seat the chamber is connected by a pipe to the top of a reservoir, which
is at its bottom end in connection with a pipe leading into the boiler and ending
just below the normal level of the water of the boiler. As long as sufficient water
is in the boiler by the pressure of the steam water is forced into the reservoir, and
a float placed within the latter closes, by means of a valve or needle, the opening of
the narrow pipe leading to the chamber before mentioned. As soon, however, as
the level of the water in the boiler falls below the normal height steamn passes into
the reservoir, the float falls, and the inlet to the chamber is open for the steam.
This steam, supported by the action of the spiral spring or own weight of the
valve, overcomes the direct steam pressure on the top valve and opens the latter,
consequently direct steam rushes into the chamber and forces the water contained
in the chamber through a check valve partly into the boiler and partly into an air
vessel which is in connection with the bottom of the chamber. In passing from top
downward through the chamber the direct steam partly condenses, and as the
connection pipe between valve chamber and float reservoir is very narrow, and
allows only a small quantity of steam to pass into the former, the top valve is after
a certain time closed by the pressure of the direct steam. The steam contained
in the chamber more and more condenses, and the water from the air vessel reenters
the former and completes the condensation of this steam, and produces a vacuum
in the valve chamber, in consequence of which new feed water from a well or tank
enters through a check valve or clack into the valve chamber. After the latter has
been supplied with water the steam from the float reservoir is again enabled to
raise or open the top valve, and new direct steam enters the valve chamber and
forces, in the same manner, as before described, a further quantity of water partly
into the boiler and partly into the air vessel. This play of the apparatus will
repeat as long as steam is allowed to enter the float chainber, but it will cease as
soon as water is forced into this chamber, which occurs at the moment where the
level of the water of the boiler reaches the normal height, and shuts the steam off
from the mouth of the pipe leading from the float-chamber into the boiler.
Instead of forcing water into a boiler and using the apparatus as a feeder, the
latter may be employed as lifter or conveyor of water or other liquids for any
other purpose, like an ordinary pressure pump.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation in section,
Fig. 2 a front view, and Fig. 3 a ground plan of the apparatus; Figs. 4 and 5 are
respectively elevation in section and ground plan of a communication piece between
top-valve and bottle-shaped chamber; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through top valve,
and Fig. 7 a ground plan of the latter scen from below.
A is the main part of the apparatus, the bottle or bell shaped chamber, with
enlarged bottom part p; B is the wind chamber or air vessel; C, the float chamber;
E, the supporting frame or bed plate, and F, the top valve box.
Chamber A is, by means of tube a, connected to or in communication with air-
vessel B, and this tube a, or a prolongation of same, is passed through the enlarged
part p of chamber A, and ends at the bottom of A, where it is furnished with
small openings, as will be understood from Fig. 1 of the Drawings; & is the suction
pipe for the feed water communicating with p through suction valve e; c is the
opening in chamber A through which the water is forced out of the apparatus into
the pipe leading the feed water to the boiler if the apparatus is a boiler-feeder,
or to the pressure pipe if the apparatus is employed for raising or conveying water
generally. The opening cis closed by or is in connection with a return valve; fis
the valve of valve-box F and opens toward chamber A; 7 is the steam pipe coming
from the boiler, and terminates underneath of valve f. The tube m communicates
with the valve-box above valve f and float chamber C, whilst is the pipe leading
from chamber C into the boiler and reaching down as far as to the normal level
of water; is the Boat with locking pin o for closing the inlet to m if the float is
raised by water entering the chamber C through tube k.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
If the steam channels m and g be open and chamber A be just filled with water

page_text: valve f is still closed for a moment. The action of the steam pressing on the top
of valve fand the weight of the latter will however soon open valve f, and steam
enters from I into chamber A and equalizes the pressure in chamber A and boiler,
in consequence of which by its own weight the greater part of water passes from A
into the boiler, and some parts of water rush into the air vessel B. During the fall
of the water in chamber A the surface of the water level in chamber A enlarges in
consequence of the bell-shaped form of A, and the steam gradually comes in contact
with larger surfaces of water which multiplies in the moment where the water falls
as low as the enlarged chamber part p. The steam pressure in the chamber A falls
accordingly, and the return valve of opening c as well as valve f will close. At
same time the water which had before entered B is repulsed into chamber A and
condenses fully the steam of this chamber, in consequence of which fresh water is
sucked into A through & and e. When the chamber A is again filled with water
the play begins anew, as before described, and the apparatus will continue to feed
water into the boiler as long as steam enters through the tube & into chamber C.
After the water level of the boiler has attained its normal height water instead of
steam enters C through tube k, the float l rises and locks by means of pin o steam
tube m. The action of the apparatus now stops as long as the water level of the
boiler does not fall underneath the open end of tube k, viz., beneath the normal
level.
If the apparatus is not required to work automatically the float chamber C may
be dispensed with, and by a tap or otherwise steam tube m can be opened as soon
and as long as the apparatus shall be employed.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention I
claim,―
1. The apparatus for feeding boilers automatically, consisting of a bell or bottle
shaped chamber A, an air vessel B, a valve mechanism F, and float chamber C,
combined with a suction pipe d, valve e, and steam tubes g and m, substantially as
herein set forth and as shown by the Drawings.
2. The same arrangement for conveying or lifting water without float chamber C
and tube k, substantially as herein described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.