Improved Apparatus for Heating Feed Water and Supplying the same to Steam Boilers, and Means for Removing Oil and Air from such Water.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Heating Feed Water and Supplying the
same to Steam Boilers, and Means for Removing Oil and Air
from such Water.
We, ALEXANDER HORNE, and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, both of
Victoria Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved method of and apparatus for heating
feed water and supplying the same to steam boilers, and to means for removing oil
and air from such water.
According thereto the feed water is subjected whilst in the form of sheets,
streams or spray to a preliminary heating within a suitable vessel by direct contact
with one or more jets of steam issuing from one or more heating pipes located within
said vessel, and is afterwards subjected to further heating by surface contact with
the said heating pipe or pipes, the water thus heated being supplied to a boiler by
a steam or other motive power pump the motion of which is governed by valve
mechanism under the control of a float located within the said vessel and operated
by the heated water therein, the arrangement being such that when the heated
water rises in the said vessel to a predetermined level, the valve mechanism of the
pump will be moved by the float in such a way that the pump will be set in action
to draw the heated water from the vessel and deliver it to the boiler.
An arrangement of feed water heated for this purpose comprises a vessel having
a water inlet at the top and a water outlet at the bottom, and fitted with a number
of vertical tubes the lower ends of which are in communication with a steam
chamber and the upper ends of which, or some of which, are formed with one or
more exit openings for steam. The water inlet passage is adapted to be connected
with a supply pump and its communication with the interior of the feed water
heater is controlled by a spring valve so that the water will be caused to enter the
said heater in the form of a sheet, or streams of spray. To aid the breaking up of
the entering water, a baffle or baffles may be provided. Within the heater is a
hollow float connected by lever arms to spindles, one of which has connected to it
an external lever provided with a weight adapted to balance the float when it is
about half filled with water. This external lever is connected by suitable means
with a valve for controlling the supply of motive fluid to a steam pump by which
the water can be drawn from the heater and forced into a boiler. The arrange-
ment is such that when the heater is at work, the float becomes filled with water,
and as the balance weight is equal only to the weight of about half of such water,
therefore when the water rises in the heater and the float is half immersed, the
balance weight is the measured power for working the controlling valve of the
pump. The heater is, or may be, provided with the usual fittings such as a safety
valve, atmospheric valve, gauge glass etc. and is provided with an outlet adapted
to be placed in connection with a condenser so that air liberated from the water by
the heating operation can be withdrawn from the upper part of the heater. Also
the steam chamber is provided with an outlet for running off water of condensation
therefrom.
To remove oil from the water within the heater there is fixed to the float, at or
about the centre line thereof corresponding with the floatation line, a perforated

page_text: tube that is connected by a telescopic joint to a pipe mounted to turn about a centre
and connected by an external pipe with a receptacle provided with a gauge or sight
glass and with outlets for water and oil. The arrangement is such that the
perforated pipe rises and falls with the float and is kept constantly at the water
level so that oil rising to the surface of the water is blown off together with some
of the water in the said receptacle wherein the two are allowed to separate and are
subsequently drawn off through separate outlets. The float may advantageously be
of annular form and be provided with one or more radial tubes so that oil within
the central opening of the float can be readily drawn off.
Dated this 6th day of February 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Heating Feed Water and Supplying the
same to Steam Boilers, and Means for Removing Oil and Air
from such Water.
We, ALEXANDER HORNE and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, both of
Victoria Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineers, 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 has reference to an improved construction and arrangement of
apparatus for heating feed water and supplying the same to steam boilers, and also
to means for removing oil and air from such water.
In our improved apparatus, the feed water is subjected whilst in the form of
sheets, streams or spray, to a preliminary heating within a suitable vessel by direct
contact with one or more jets of steam issuing from one or more heating pipes
located within said vessel, and is afterwards subjected to further heating by surface
contact with the said heating pipe or pipes, the water thus heated being supplied to
a boiler by a steam or other motive power pump, the motion of which is governed
by valve mechanism under the control of a float located within the said vessel and
operated by the heated water therein, the arrangement being such that when the
heated water rises in the said vessel to a pre-determined level, the valve mechanism
of the pump will be moved by the float in such a way that the pump will be set in
action to draw the heated water from the vessel and deliver it to the boiler.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation ;
Fig. 2 a sectional plan; and
Fig. 3 a true plan or top view, showing an arrangement of apparatus according to
this invention.
1 is a vessel having a water inlet 2 at the top and a water outlet 3 at the bottom.
Within it is fitted a number of vertical tubes 4 carried by a tube plate 5 held in
place against the lower end of the vessel by a removable dished bottom 6 which is
provided with an inlet 7 for steam and an outlet 8 for water of condensation, and
which forms with the said tube plate, a steam chamber 9. The lower ends of the
said tubes are in communication with this steam chamber, and their upper ends, or
some of them, are formed with one or more exit openings for steam. The water
inlet passage 2 is flanged at its outer end to adapt it to be connected with a supply
pump, and its inner end, which is enlarged, is placed in communication with the
interior of the vessel 1 or feed water heater, through a passage 10 controlled by a

page_text: spring valve 11 so that the feed water, supplied under pressure, will be caused to
enter the said heater in the form of a sheet, or streams, or spray.
In the example
shown, the valve 11 is carried by a screw threaded rod 12 provided with adjustable
nuts 13 that act upon a plate 14 bearing against the upper end of a spring 15, the
arrangement being such that by adjusting the nuts, the force acting to close the
valve can be varied from time to time to suit requirement. To aid the breaking up
of the entering water, a baffle or baffles, such for example as the hollow truncated.
cone 16, may be provided, against which the entering water will impinge. This
cone may be secured by its flange 16" between the flanged upper end of the vessel 1
and the cover 1ª of the said vessel.
Within the heater is a hollow float 17 connected by lever arms 18 to spindles 19
carried by a removable cover 1', and one of which has connected to it an external.
lever 20 provided with a weight 21 adapted to balance the float when the same is,
about half filled with water. The external lever is connected by suitable means,
such as a rod 22 and lever arm 23, with a valve 24 for controlling the supply of
motive fluid through a pipe 25 to a steam pump by which the water can be drawn
from the heater through the outlet 3 and forced into a boiler. The steam pump is
shown diagrammatically at 25ª in Fig. 1, its suction being connected with the
outlet 3. The arrangement is such that when the heater is at work, the hollow
float will become filled with water, and as the balance weight 21 is equal only to
the weight of about half of such water, therefore when the water rises in the vessel 1
or heater, and the float is half immersed, the balance weight will become the
measured power for working the controlling valve 24 of the pump.
The heater is, or may be provided with the usual fittings, such as a safety
valve 26, atmospheric valve 27, pressure gauges 28 and 28ª in communication
respectively with the water inlet 2 and the interior of the vessel 1, gauge glass and
so forth.
It is also provided with an outlet covered by a dome 29 and adapted to
be placed in connection by a hand controlled valve 30 and pipe 31 with a condenser,
so that air, liberated from the water by the heating operation, can be withdrawn
from time to time from the upper part of the heater.
To remove oil from the water within the heater, there is fixed to the float 17, at
or about the centre line thereof, corresponding with the floatation line, a perforated
tube 32 which is connected by a telescopic joint 33 to a pipe 34. This pipe is
retained in place by a pivot 35 so that it can turn about a centre, and is connected
by an external pipe 36 having a valve 36ª with a receptacle 37 provided with a
gauge or sight glass 38 and with outlets 39 and 40 for water and oil respectively.
The arrangement as will be seen is such that the perforated tube 32 will rise and
fall automatically with the float, and will be kept constantly at the water level, so
that oil rising to the surface of the water can be blown off, together with some of
the water, into the said receptacle wherein the two can be allowed to separate, and
be subsequently drawn off through the separate outlets 39 and 40. The said
float 17 may advantageously be of annular form as shown and be provided with one
or more radial tubes 17 so that oil within the central opening of the float can
readily pass to the exterior of the float and be blown off as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for heating feed water and supplying the same to steam boilers,
comprising a vessel having a cold water inlet with spraying device and a hot water
outlet, vertical heating tubes the lower ends of which are in communication with a
steam supply chamber at the lower end of the vessel and the upper ends of which,
or some of which, are formed with exit openings for discharging steam into the
upper part of said vessel, and a float arranged within said vessel so as to rise and
fall with the heated water therein, a pump for withdrawing heated water from said
vessel, and a motor for working the said pump, the valve for controlling the supply
of motive fluid to the said motor being connected to the said float so as to be

page_text: operated automatically thereby, substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.
2. The combination with a feed water heater and float such as herein referred to,
of a perforated pipe connected with the float at or about the centre line thereof,
corresponding with the floatation line, and an external receptacle connected with
the said perforated pipe and provided with outlets for water and oil, the arrange-
ment being such that the perforated pipe will rise and fall with the float and will
be kept constantly at the water level so that oil rising to the surface of the water
can be blown off together with some of the water into the receptacle wherein the
two are allowed to separate substantially as herein described.
3. Apparatus for heating feed water and controlling the supply thereof to steam
boilers constructed arranged and operating as described and shown, whether with
or without the means described for removing oil and air from such water.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1894
ALEXANDER HORNE.
JOHN B. FURNEAUX.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.