An Improved Feed-water Regulator for Steam Generators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Feed-water Regulator for Steam Generators.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES WILLIAM LLOYD, Mechanical Engineer, of 104, Gilda Brook
Road, Eccles, Lancs., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Referring to drawing A is a cylinder with an enlarged portion at one end, B
is a piston an easy working fit in A, C is a piston rod extending thro stuffing
box D, & connected to feed control valve in such a way that when piston is moved
towards cover the feed supply to generator is wholly or partly cut off. F is a
spring which normally keeps piston in the position shown in the figure. G is a
stop which fixes the extreme position to which spring can force piston B. H is
a connection to discharge branch of an ordinary force pump whose suction is con-
nected to generator at the place where it is desired to maintain the water level
this pump not being shown in the drawing. J is a connection to steam space of
generator. When in action the pump discharges water into A, & lifts piston
against spring and stops feed supply to generator.
If water level in generator falls the pump discharges steam only which escapes
owing to slack fit of piston or by small hole thro piston provided for the purpose,
the spring returns piston on to stop, the water being displaced by leakage past
piston, and the feed supply is turned on again by means of the connection to
rod C, it being understood that when rod C is in position shown in drawing that
the feed supply to generator is fully open.
Dated this 20th dor of Tune 1800
An Improved Feed-water Regulator for Steam Generators.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES WILLIAM LLOYD, of Bentcliffe Hall, Pendleton, in the
County of Lancaster, formerly of 104, Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, in the County.
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a reliable apparatus for controlling
the feed-water-supply to a steam-generator so as to maintain an approximately
constant level of water in the generator with varying rates of evaporation.
In the accompanying drawing two forms of apparatus are shown by way of
illustration of my invention and the manner in which it may be carried into effect.
In the form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing

page_text: which is a vertical section through such apparatus, A is a cylinder with an
enlarged portion at one end. B is a piston which is made an easy working fit in
the cylinder A, C is a piston-rod which extends through à stuffing-box provided
upon the cover E of the cylinder A. and is connected to the feed-control-valve in
such a way that when the piston B is raised towards the cover E the feed-
supply to the steam-generator with which the apparatus is used is wholly or
partly shut off; F is a spring which pressing against the piston B and the cover E-
normally keeps the piston B in the position in which it is shown in the figure, G
is a stop which fixes the extreme position to which the spring F can force the
piston B; H is a connection to the discharge-branch of an ordinary force-pump
whose suction is connected to the generator at the place where it is desired to
maintain the water-level, this pump not being shown in the drawing: Jis a
connection to the steam-generator preferably. to the steam-space thereof:
stop & is screwed into the bottom of the cylinder. The entrance to the suction-
pipe of the said force-pump is preferably provided with a strainer of any suitable
form to exclude matter which might interfere with the working of such force-
pump or the piston B.
The
The force-pump aforesaid which may be driven in any suitable manner drawing
water from the generator discharges it under the piston and lifts the same
against the pressure of the spring until the points of V grooves or notches.b in
the piston B enter the enlarged portion of the cylinder A. "This allows any water
which may be pumped into the cylinder A to escape by the connection to the
steam-space of the steam-generator and also shuts off the feed-supply to the
generator by means of the connection of the piston-rod C already referred to.
Should the water-level in the generator fall below the entrance to the suction-
pipe of the force-pump connected to the connection H, the pump will no longer
pump water but steam which being elastic and more mobile than water will
easily pass the piston B in consequence of its slack fit in the cylinder-barrel or
a small hole may be provided through the piston B for the purpose and so
bis small hole 61 or the slack fit of the piston or both allowing the passage of
steam the spring is allowed to gradually force the piston B on to the stop 'G,
no more water being forced in by the pump. As the piston B returns to this
position or moves towards the stop G under the influence of the spring F the
feed-supply-valve is opened by means of the connection connected to the piston-
rod C and water is again passed into the generator until it rises to the level
of the entrance to the suction-pipe of the pump connected to the connection II
when the action is repeated by the piston B being moved against the action
of the spring F to wholly or partially shut off the supply of feed-water from the
steam-generator. The piston-rod C may be connected to the feed-control-valve
by any suitable means capable of transmitting movement and the control-valve
to which the piston-rod C is connected may be a valve on the discharge-pipe of
a feed-pump and regulating the delivery of feed-water either by wholly or partially
opening or closing the passage through such discharge-pipe or by allowing more
or less water to escape from such discharge-pipe instead of being conducted to
the steam-generator or may be a valve controlling the supply of steam to a
feed-pump or an injector or may be a device controlling the action of a feed-
pump actuated otherwise than by steam as for instance by an electro-motor
or may be a device controlling the supply to the steam-generator of feed-water
from a supply of water under pressure greater than that of the steam-generator.
The slackness of the fit between the piston B and the cylinder A or the size
of the small hole b', if any, provided in the said piston B will obviously depend
upon the rate at which water is intended to be supplied through the connec-
tion Hor, conversely, the rate at which water is supplied through the said con-
nection when the apparatus is in use must be adjusted in accordance with the
slackness of the fit between the piston B or the size of the hole in such piston..
In Figs: 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing there is illustrated a form
of apparatus in which the piston-rod of the apparatus provided in accordance

page_text: with my invention is connected directly to or made to itself form the movable
part of the valve controlling the supply of feed-water to the steam-generator in
conjunction with which the apparatus is applied. In the form of apparatus illus-
trated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 means are provided to enable the passage for steam
past the piston of such apparatus to be adjusted in area so that the working
of the apparatus may be adjusted in accordance with the rate at which it is
desired to supply such apparatus with water from the steam-generator to which
such apparatus is to be applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections on planes
at right angles to each other and with some parts shown in side elevation and
showing the apparatus without the bush shown in Fig. 5, some parts shown in
Eig. 2 being omitted from Fig. 3 and some parts shown in Fig. 3 being omitted
from. Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of the said apparatus without the nuts securing
the cylinder cover. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a bush forming the lower part
of the said apparatus.
The same letters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in
the several Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 and as the parts shown in the said figures are
indicated in as far as is possible by the same reference letters as have been
employed in connection with the parts shown in Fig. 1, it is only necessary for
me to describe the form of apparatus illustrated by Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 in so
far as it differs from the form of apparatus illustrated by Fig. 1. In the
apparatus illustrated. in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 the piston-rod C formed with the
piston B is made to pass through and be capable of being slidden in while
making a substantially water-tight joint with a tubular extension formed upon
the cylinder A and is formed at its end with a taper portion constituting a
valve L to act in conjunction with a seating M. formed around a passage N formed
through a bush O screwed into the tubular extension K.
A passage P is formed
in the casting or body Q of which the cylinder A and tubular extension K form
part. The passage. P is made to communicate, with the enlarged part of. the
cylinder A and, with the passage in the tubular extension K between the part
fitting the piston-rod C and the seating M when the bush is screwed into the
casting or body Q. The passage P is provided with two branches R. One of the
branches R preferably the lower one is connected to the delivery-pipe of the
feed-pump, employed to supply feed-water to the steam-generator with which the
apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 is employed, and the other preferably.
the upper branch R is connected to a pipe by which water supplied by the feed-
pump may be allowed to pass to the said steam-generator. $ is a plug screwed
into the casting or body Q to close the opening formed therein in the formation
of the passage P. The bush O is connected to a pipe or tube by means of which
when the valve L is moved from the seating the water pumped into the
passage P by means of the feed-pump may be allowed to escape from such
passage. The connection H for the discharge-pipe of the force-pump, the suction-
pipe of which is connected to the steam-generator at the level at which it is
desired to maintain the water-level therein, is made to enter the cylinder A at one
side and the passage by which steam may escape in order to allow the spring F
to move the piston B is provided in the form of a hole T at the opposite side of
the said cylinder A and is provided with a spindle or valve U which being
screwed further into or screwed outwards in the casting or body Q serves to
regulate the extent of the passage through the said hole T. The said hole T
is made to communicate with a passage V leading to a hole W communicating
with the enlarged part of the cylinder A and so with the passage P
passage is closed at one end by a stud X which serves as one of the studs.
receiving the nuts by means of which the cylinder-cover E is secured to the
casting or body Q. A stuffing-box is provided around the spindle or valve U.
When the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 is in use the water pumped
through the connection H from the steam-generator to which the said apparatus
is applied will keep the valve L away from the seating M so long as the water
The

page_text: level in such steam-generator is above the entrance to the suction-pipe of the
force-pump aforesaid and the water pumped into the cylinder A through the
connection H will escape through the grooves or notches of the piston B and
through the hole T, passage V and hole W into the enlargement of the cylinder A
and so through the passage P and bush N. As soon as the water level in the
said steam-generator falls below the entrance to the suction-pipe of the said
force-pump and steam is pumped into the cylinder A the piston B will be moved
by the spring F as such steam is capable of escaping from the cylinder A faster
than it can be pumped therein by such pump and the valve I, is made to close
the outlet through the bush and the water pumped into the passage P by
means of the feed-pump will pass from such passage to the steam-generator until
the water in such steam-generator reaches the level at which water may again be
pumped into the cylinder. A by the force-pump aforesaid and the piston is moved
against the force of the spring F to move the valve L from the seating M.
It is obvious that an apparatus provided according to my invention may be
arranged so that the movements of the piston employed in such apparatus in
one direction and the opposite direction shall simply permit a larger or less
supply of feed-water to the steam-generator to which such apparatus is applied
without being capable of entirely stopping the supply of feed-water to such steam-
generator.
Although in each of the forms of apparatus illustrated in the accompanying
drawing the cylinder employed is shown as arranged with its centre-line vertical
it is obvious that the cylinder employed in an apparatus made according to my
invention may be arranged with its centre-line in any position which may be
desirable in any case.
The apparatus provided according to my invention is simple and reliable and
effective in controlling the feed-water supply of a steam-generator so as to main-
tain an approximately constant level of water therein although the rate at which
water is evaporated in such steam-generator may vary and if the entrance in
the suction-pipe of the force-pump used with such apparatus be made of small
vertical diameter or arranged in a horizontal plane the rise and fall through a
very small distance of the surface of the water in a steam-generator to which
such apparatus is applied will suffice for the working of such apparatus. My
invention is especially applicable to steam-generators for motor-driven vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An apparatus for controlling the supply of feed-water to a steam-generator
and consisting essentially in a cylinder, piston and spring in conjunction with
a force-pump the suction-pipe of which is connected to the steam-generator to
which such apparatus is applied at the level at which it is desired to maintain
the water-level in such steam-generator and the delivery-pipe is connected to the
said cylinder all arranged employed and operating for the purpose and substan-
tially as hereinbefore described in such a way that when water is supplied to the
said cylinder by means of the said force-pump the said piston shall be kept in
or moved into position to stop or reduce the supply of feed-water to such steam-
generator and when steam is supplied to the said cylinder by the said force-
pump such steam being incapable of holding the piston against the force of the
said spring the said piston shall be moved by the said spring so as to allow
feed-water or more feed-water to be supplied to the said steam-generator.
2. In an apparatus for controlling the supply of feed-water to a steam-generator
the combination of a cylinder and piston arranged employed and operating
for the purposes and substantially as herein before described with reference to
Fio. 1 of the accompanying drawing.
3. In an apparatus for controlling the supply of feed-water to a steam-generator

page_text: the combination of a cylinder and piston arranged, employed and operating for
the purposes and substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this Trantieth Jane of Haul 1000
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.