IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND HEATING WATER
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Boyes, of Manchester and Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Merchant and Bleacher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND HEATING WATER."
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 28th October 1870
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Boyes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1876.
WILLIAM BOYES, of Manchester and Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant and Bleacher. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND
HEATING WATER."
This Invention is particularly adapted for purifying and heating the water
employed for feeding steam boilers, but it may be applied for other purposes.
My improved apparatus consists of a closed vessel of the shape of an ordinary
steam boiler, or of other convenient shape, in which are three or other number of
flues or partitions; this closed vessel is placed by preference between two ordinary
steam boilers.
The impure water from a steam engine condenser, or from a river or other source,
to be purified and heated is made to circulate through the closed vessel, and through
the flues or compartments, and in so circulating a great part of the impurities will
settle at the bottom of the vessel and in the flues or compartments. The water in
the closed vessel is heated partly by the products of combustion from the furnaces
of the boilers in passing to the chimney or to an ordinary fuel economiser, and
partly by the waste steam from high-pressure steam engines, or from drying
cylinders or other sources.
In bleach works, print works, and other works where there is a good supply of
condensed steam, very little additional water is required to supply the closed vessel,
consequently the water becomes gradually softer and clearer by the continual
circulation that is thus kept up through the boilers and the heating apparatus.
When chemical agents are required to be combined with the water in the closed
vessel to prevent incrustation in the boilers, or for other purpose, the chemical
ingredients are mixed in a hopper attached to the closed vessel and injected by
valves or otherwise. The closed vessel and the flues are provided with man-holes
IPrice 6d1

page_text: and blow-off cocks. The water so purified and heated may be pumped or injected
into the boilers in the ordinary manner, or it may be used for any other purpose;
and in some cases the water may be purified by circulating slowly through the
closed vessel without being heated as above described.
When the feed water is not passed through the closed vessel its course may be
diverted by means of valves so as to take it direct to the fuel economiser, or to the
boilers, or into an off pipe.
My Invention may be modified by making the closed vessel in the shape of a
waggon boiler, or other convenient shape, and in causing the products of combustion
from the adjacent boilers to circulate through flues between the closed vessel and
the boilers.
In some cases the products of combustion from the boilers to the chimney may
be diverted by a damper in the main flue and carried under or around the closed
vessel; by these means the water in the closed vessel is heated in the most advan-
tageous manner.
The steam generated in the closed vessel may be utilised for drying or other
purposes. A filter is applied at any convenient part of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Boyes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th April
1877.
WILLIAM BOYES, of Manchester and Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant and Bleacher. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND
HEATING WATER."
This Invention is particularly adapted for purifying and heating the water
employed for feeding steam boilers, but it may be applied for other purposes.
My improved apparatus, which is illustrated in reference to Figs, 1, 2, 3, and 4,
of Sheet 1, of the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, consists of a closed
vessel a of the shape of an ordinary steam boiler, or of other convenient shape, in
which are two or other number of flues b or partitions; this closed vessel is placed
at the side of one or more ordinary steam boilers c and d.
The impure water from a river or other source to be purified and heated is con-
veyed by the pipe c¹, see Fig. 3, into the closed vessel a, and the water from the
condenser of a steam engine or other source is brought to the closed vessel
through the pipe e. The exhaust steam is admitted into the closed vessel through
the pipe f, which descends for a certain distance into the closed vessel and then
runs horizontally below the level of the water until it arrives near the end of the
condensed water inlet pipe e. The waste steam admitted by the pipe f is supplied
from a high-pressure steam engine or from drying cylinders, or other sources.
water is made to circulate through the closed vessel a, from which it flows through
the opening b¹, see Fig. 2, into the right-hand flue b; it then passes through the
double elbow pipe g into the left-hand flue, and thence into the discharge pipe k,
and in so circulating a great part of the impurities will settle at the bottom of the
vessel and in the flues or compartments.
The
At the front end of the vessel a is the mud cock k, through which the sediment
is blown off occasionally; and in the bottom of each flue b is a plug b² to run the
sediment from the flues into the vessel a.
The water in the closed vessel a is heated partly by the products of combustion
from the furnaces of the boilers c and d in passing to the chimney, and partly by
the waste steam from high-pressure steam engines, or from drying cylinders, or
other sources. In the arrangement shewn the flue i is in communication with the
flues from the boilers c and d, and with the flues passing around the closed
vessel a; in the flue i is the damper j, which when down causes the products of

page_text: combustion from the boilers c and d to circulate round the flues under the closed
vessel a.
When the damper j is up and the dampers closed the products of com-
bustion go direct to the chimney. In the flue i is also the damper m, which when
down closes the communication with the chimney.
In Fig. 3 the vertical pipe n is supposed to be in communication with the hot
well of a condensing steam engine, or with a cistern or reservoir, or other source;
and in the horizontal part of this pipe is the branch n¹, which is connected to the
pipe e above referred to. The branch n² is in communication with the off pipe for
the surplus water; this pipe has a tap which can be opened and closed when
required. At the end of the horizontal part of the pipe n is the valve o. The
pipe h, which as before described is connected to the end of the left-hand flue b, in
Fig. 1, is provided with a thermometer to indicate the heat of the water issuing
from the vessel a, and with a tap to shut off the water from the horizontal pipe h¹
which conveys the water to the donkey engine p, by which it is forced into the
pipes communicating with the boilers c and d, or it is otherwise disposed of.
In bleach works, print works, and other works where there is a good supply
of condensed steam less additional water is required to supply the closed vessel a,
consequently the water becomes gradually softer and clearer by the continual
circulation that is thus kept up through the boilers and the heating apparatus.
When chemical agents are required to be combined with the water in the closed
vessel a to prevent incrustation in the boilers, to precipitate the impurities, or for
other purpose, the chemical ingredients are mixed in the hopper q attached to the
closed vessel and injected by valves or otherwise. The closed vessel a is provided
with man-holes and safety valve s, and the flues b have man-holes r¹. The valve s
is opened to allow the air to escape when the closed vessel is being filled with
water.
The water purified and heated in the manner above described may be pumped or
injected into the boilers in the ordinary manner, or it may be used for any other
purpose; and in some cases the water may be purified by circulating slowly through
the closed vessel a without being heated as above described.
When the feed water is not passed through the closed vessel a its course may
be diverted by means of valves, so as to take it direct to the boilers or into an off
pipe.
My Invention may be modified by making the closed vessel a in the shape of
a waggon boiler or other convenient shape, and in causing the products from the
adjacent boilers to circulate through flues between the closed' vessel and the boilers,
as shewn in Sheet 2. In this Sheet Fig. 5 is a transverse section; Fig. 6, a plan;
and Fig. 7, a side elevation of a modification of my Invention. In this arrange-
ment the closed vessel a is made with flat sides and rounded corners, but it may be
of any other convenient shape, and it is placed between the boilers cand d. In the
vessel a are two water flues b, b, and the oval smoke flue b³, this latter is in com-
munication with the flue 64 under the vessel a through the orifice b³.
The vessel a is supplied with water from a reservoir or other source through the
pipe e¹, and the water of condensation from a steam engine or other source enters
through the pipe e while the exhaust steam enters at f, as before described. The
water to be purified and heated passes from the back end of the vessel a to near
the front, it then enters one of the flues b through the opening b₁, and after passing
through this flue it passes through the pipe g to the other flue b, and then enters
the pipe h, as in Fig. 1.
On referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the sides of the closed vessel a form a
portion of the side flues of the boilers c and d; by this arrangement a great pro-
portion of the heat which is usually absorbed by the brickwork of the boiler seating
is made available for heating the water in the vessel a. After the products of com-
bustion have passed through the flues in the boilers, and through the flues under
and on each side of the boilers, they unite in the flue 6 under the vessel a; they
then pass through the orifice b into the flue b³, which is in communication with the
main flue i leading to the chimney, as shewn in Fig. 7. The flues from the boilers

page_text: c and d may be shut off by dampers from the flues of the vessel a; when this is the
case the dampers u are open to allow the products of combustion to enter the main
flue . The closed vessel a and the flues b, b, and b³ are provided with man-holes,
as before described.
When steam is generated in the closed vessel a it may be utilized for drying or
other purposes; and when it is desired to partly purify the water before it enters
the closed vessel a filter may be applied to the pipes e or e¹, or to both, or in other
places.
In Fig. 8 I have shewn the closed vessel a cylindrical; by this arrangement an
old or partially worn steam boiler may be converted into the closed vessel and
combined with two adjacent steam boilers, as shewn in Fig. 5.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
details given, and that I claim,-
First. The improved apparatus for purifying and heating water, in which a
constant circulation of the water is kept up, as shewn and described.
Secondly. Conveying the products of combustion from one or more steam boilers
around or through the flues of a water heating and purifying vessel, as shewn and
described.
And, Thirdly. Constructing and placing the water heating and purifying vessel
so that the sides thereof form part of the flues of the adjacent steam boilers, as
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Boyes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.