Improved Apparatus for Heating Feed Water, Promoting Water Circulation, and Generating Steam in Locomotive and other Steam Boilers.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Heating Feed Water, Promoting Water
Circulation, and Generating Steam in Locomotive and other Steam
Boilers.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(as communicated to me from abroad by John King, Charles Downes and
Michangel Ap Iwan, all of Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic) to be as follows:-
In the Specification to Patents No. 2279 of 1896 and 15167 of 1897 were
described constructions of feed water heaters consisting of box shaped receptacles
which were arranged in the fire-box or furnace of locomotive and other steam
boilers and were made to take the place of the fire brick deflecting arch usually
employed in such fire boxes, through which receptacles the feed water was
circulated by means of a pump, and whence the heated water was led through
a pipe through the crown plate or sides of the fire box into the water spaces of
the boiler.
The present invention relates to improved construction of the said feed water
heater and apparatus in connection therewith, whereby a more effectual heating
of the feed water and circulation thereof is effected, and whereby also, when not
required to act as feed water heater, it is made to act as an auxiliary steam
generator, through which the water of the boiler is made to circulate.
For this purpose the apparatus is constructed as follows: Within the fire-box,
in the position usually occupied by the firebrick arch, is fixed a feed-water heater
consisting of one or more rows, but preferably a double row of slightly upward
inclined tubes connected at each end to branch openings on two tubular chambers
of which the lower one is fixed against the front wall of the fire box, while the
upper one is fixed at the ends to the two side walls thereof.
At the middle of the lower chamber is a branch pipe which passes through the
wall of the fire box and is connected to the feed water supply and to the water
spaces of the boiler as will be presently described so that the feed water entering
such lower chamber, passes thence through the two rows of tubes into the upper
chamber, whence it passes into one or more pipes that connect the upper chamber
with the crown plate or other part of the fire box. By preference the top of the
pper chamber is made to incline slightly upwards towards the discharge pipe
or pipes, for facilitating the escape of steam when the apparatus is used as a
team generator. The tubes of the upper row are arranged over the spaces
between tubes of the lower row, so that while they effectually take up heat from
he fire and transmit it to the feedwater, they operate in a similar manner to the
ire brick arch in deflecting the flames and hot gases of the inner part of the fire.
If desired, this action may be increased by placing a plate over the upper row
f pipes.

page_text: bent outwards and upwards to a valve box e where there is a valve governing a
communication with the barrel of the boiler. Within the pipe E is another
pipe also opening into the receptacle 1), and having a branch passing out-
wards and upwards to a valve box f where there is a valve governing a communi-
cation with the barrel of the boiler. The valves in e and f can be opened and
closed by handles el f' situated within reach of the driver on the foot plate. The
feed pump G, which is supplied as usual by the pipe y from the tender or tanks
has its discharge connected by a pipe H to the box which communicates with f
and contains a check valve. From the receptacle D¹ two pipes dd lead up
through the crown of the fire box to the water space above. The upper side of
the receptacle slopes upwards from the middle towards the pipes d¹ so as
to pomote the passage of steam bubbles to these pipes.
Instead of or, in addition to the feed pump G, an injector may be camployed
communicating with the box h.
The apparatus operates as follows:-
The valves in e and f being closed, the feed water from the pump or injector
having passed the check valve in h flows by the branch F and pipe F into the
receptacle D thence through the tubes to D and thence up the pipes into
the boiler being heated on its way. When the valve in f is opened some of the
feed water can pass direct into the barrel of the boiler, or if the pump or injecter
is not at work water can pass from the barrel by the branch F and pipe Finto
the receptacle D and thence by the tubes d, receptacle D¹ and pipes into
the water space above the fire box, so that thus there is a circulation of water
through the heater. Also the circulation may be effected by opening the valve
in e so that water from the barrel may pass through the heater to the space above
the fire box. This circulation can go on when the pump or injector is at work,
the valve in f being in that case preferably closed.
Two rows of tubes d are shewn in the drawings, those of the upper row being
over the space between those of the lower row so as the better to obstruct passage
of flame or gases directly upwards. There might obviously be more than two
rows of tubes d, and over these tubes there might be placed a baffle plate to
prevent any passage of flame or gases between the tubes. K is a blow off pipe
having in a convenient position a cock which can be opened to blow out deposit.
The receptacle D is also provided with two screw plugs which can be un-
screwed when it is desired to wash out the heater.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In combination with the fire box of a steam boiler a feed water heater con-
sisting of two tubular receptacles connected by tubes and placed in an inclined
position in the fire box, the lower receptacle being connected by pipes to the feed
pump or injector and the upper being connected by pipes to the water space above
the fire box, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the feed heater, circulation pipes provided with valves
communicating with the barrel of the boiler, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
1000