Improvements in Apparatus for Circulating and Purifying Water in Steam Boilers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1890---Accepted, 18th Oct.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Circulating and Purifying Water in
Steam Boilers.
We, ALEXANDER GRANT, Machinist, ANGUS MCDONALD, Merchant, and JAMES
MCDONALD, Carpenter, all of Los Angeles City, in the County of Los Angeles and
State of California, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention comprises the combination of a steam boiler, a purifier or filter located
outside of the boiler, a conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the
boiler below the water line and arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier,
and a conduit communicating with the other end of the purifier and arranged to
discharge into the lower part of the boiler.
The purifier may be dispensed with if it is simply desired to use our improvement
as a circulator. In such case the conduit extends direct from the intermediate part
of the boiler below the water line, thence along the outside of the boiler to the lower
part of the boiler into which it discharges.
We provide means for distributing the water at the point of discharge so that a
general circulation is induced within the boiler from the bottom upward. The means for
distribution which we deem preferable for use in upright boilers comprises a vertical
ascending inner conduit communicating at its lower end with the circulating conduit
which enters the lower part of the boiler, and communicates at its upper end with
a descending conduit which surrounds the ascending conduit and opens to discharge
near the floor of the boiler.
We introduce the feed water downward in the exterior portion of the circulating
conduit and such water is thus fed into the boiler through this distributing device,
the effect of which is to heat such feed water by the heat of the interior of the
boiler before the water becomes commingled with the water in the boiler.
The discharge mouth of the descending surrounding conduit is annular by reason
of the ascending conduit which it surrounds, and such annular mouth causes a
desirable distribution of the water around such surrounding conduit.
In horizontal boilers we use a perforated tube extending along the bottom of the
boiler and communicating with the circulator conduit entering the bottom of the
boiler. The water flows out through the perforations and is thereby distributed over
a large area of the bottom of the boiler.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Circulating and Purifying Water in
Steam Boilers.
We, ALEXANDER GRANT, Machinist, ANGUS MCDONALD, Merchant, and JAMES
MCDONALD Carpenter, all of Los Angeles City, in the County of Los Angeles and
State of California, United States of America, 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:
1
The object of our invention is to facilitate the production of steam, to prevent
priming, and to prevent the deposit of scale upon the inside of the boiler.

page_text: We accomplish these objects by means of the invention described herein and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-section of a vertical porcupine or radiate tube boiler,
provided with our invention.
Figure 2 shows a modification of our invention whereby it is adapted for use on a
horizontal boiler.
Our invention, broadly stated, comprises the combination of a steam boiler, a
purifier or filter located outside of the boiler, a conduit communicating with the
intermediate part of the boiler below the water line, and arranged to discharge into
one end of the purifier, and a conduit communicating with the other end of the
purifier and arranged to discharge into the lower part of the boiler.
Our invention also comprises the combination with the above mentioned elements,
of means for distributing the water at the point of discharge. It also comprises
various other features hereinafter described.
The boiler shown in Fig. 1 is a radiate tube or porcupine boiler of the ordinary
construction, with the exception that we have provided a drum or enlargement
extending a short distance above and below the water line, whereby the ascending
heat in the flue surrounding the boiler is intercepted abruptly and communicated to
the shallow overlying body of water in the drum space; for the ascending draught is
left between the walls of the furnace and the periphery of the drum.
The boiler shown in Fig. 1 may be described as consisting of a top section A,
provided with radiate tubes B, a bottom section C provided with radiate tubes B¹
and an intermediate enlarged section or drum D at the water line. The flue or
furnace E is similar to those in common use with boilers of this class.
Our invention is adaptable to boilers of all classes, and for this reason we furnish
an illustration showing it applied to a horizontal boiler. The boiler Fin Fig. 2 is
shown without tubes or flues, but our invention will operate with the same efficiency
on a tubular or flue boiler.
In each of the illustrations we show two filters or purifiers G, but each will operate
separate from the other, and in small boilers only one purifier need be used.
H represents the conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the boiler
below the water line, and discharging into the top end of the purifier G. I represents
a conduit communicating with the lower end of the purifier and discharging into the
lower part of the boiler. The terminations of conduits I are shown of two forms,
each serving to distribute the water at the point of discharge so that it will supply
an upward current throughout a large area of the cross-section of the interior of the
boiler, thus causing a complete circulation of water from the lower part of the boiler
upward toward the conduits leading to the purifier. This distribution is also
advantageous in that when the feed water is introduced into the boiler through
conduits I, it is more readily heated when thus divided than it would be if it were
introduced in a large undivided stream.
The means for distributing the inflowing water shown in Fig. 1, performs a
function not common with the means for such distribution shown in Fig. 2. In
Fig. 1 the conduit I passes into the boiler near the bottom and extends upward
therefrom to near the water line where it is suddenly enlarged at the top and thence
extends downward to surround its upward extension J to near the bottom thereof,
where it opens downward to discharge near the bottom of the boiler. The upward
extension is marked J and the downward extension is marked K. By this device
the water which flows through I, is caused to pass up through J to near the water
line, where it becomes heated by the water surrounding the top of K and thereby,
the feed water, when introduced through 1, J and K, becomes thoroughly heated
before it mingles with the water in the boiler proper. The upper portion of
cylinder K is heated by the water heated in the drum or enlargement D, which is
heated to a higher degree than the water in the lower part of the boiler, so that when
the water is discharged at the mouth of cylinder K, it is hotter and lighter than the
water in the bottom of the boiler, and therefore ascends rapidly. The discharge

page_text: from the mouth of K is uniform around pipe J, so that the current ascends throughout
a large proportion of the area of cross-section of the boiler.
In horizontal boilers this device is not practicable, and the means for distribution
which we deem most desirable in such boilers is a horizontal pipe L arranged along
the bottom of the boiler. The conduit I discharges into the lower part of the boiler
through the perforations M of this pipe.
We deem it advantageous to provide funnels N at the receiving ends of the upper
conduits H, but such funnels may be dispensed with. In Fig. 1 one of the conduits
is represented as being devoid of such funnel and is made to enter the bottom of the
drum instead of the side thereof. In order to induce a rapid current through the
purifier and prevent the introduction of impurities into the boiler, the feed water
pipe is arranged to discharge toward the purifier into the conduit leading from the
boiler to the purifier. The feed water is thus made to pass through the purifier before
it enters the boiler. The impurities which the filter fails to remove will rise to the
top of the water in the boiler and will there be collected by the funnel and directed
into the conduit H. It is not absolutely necessary to introduce the feed water through
the circulating conduits. It can be passed directly into the boiler through a separate
pipe. This
illustrated in Fig. 2 in which P is a pipe entering the boiler. Qand R
are valves by means of which the passage of the feed water can be controlled.
When is open and R is closed, the water will enter H. through the downwardly
directed nozzle S. When Q closed and R is open, the feed water will enter the
boiler direct through pipe P and the circulation through the purifier will be carried
on more slowly. It is best to pass the feed water through the purifier before it enters
the boiler.
We provide a blow-off pipe T communicating with the top and bottom of the
purifier G and controlled by valves U, V. When it is desired to blow off the
impurities which collect at the surface of the water, valve U is opened, thus opening a
passage direct from the water line to the outside of the boiler through conduit H, the
top of purifier G, and pipe T, valve W being open. If desired to cleanse the filter,
valve W is closed and valve X is opened. The steam will then force the water upward
through the filter and carry the impurities out through T.
Y is a perforated plate which we provide to separate the upper section A of the
boiler from the drum D. In case the water commences to foam, the plate Y intercepts
it and induces a more rapid circulation through the purifier, thus counteracting the
tendency to prime and preventing water from passing to the engine.
Zare braces extending across the enlargement D to connect the top section A with
the bottom section C.
Where the feed water is pure the purifiers may be dispensed with and the conduit
from the water line to the bottom of the boiler be left free of all obstruction. When
this is done the circulation proceeds in the same way as when the filter is interposed.
The filter forms a part of the conduit connecting the intermediate part of the boiler
with the bottom thereof. The lower temperature of the conduit caused by its location
outside of the boiler, contracts the water in such conduit and thereby increases the rate
of circulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. A steam boiler provided with a conduit located outside of the boiler communica-
ting with the intermediate part of the boiler and arranged to discharge into the lower
part of the boiler.
2. The combination of a steam boiler, a conduit located outside of the boiler, com-
municating with the intermediate part of the boiler and arranged to discharge into the
lower part of the boiler, and a feed water pipe arranged to discharge downward into
such conduit.
3. A steam boiler provided with a conduit which communicates with the inter-
mediate part of the boiler, below the water line passes thence along the outside of the

page_text: boiler and into the boiler near the bottom thereof, extends upward therefrom, is
enlarged at the top and thence extends downward to surround its upward extension
to near the bottom thereof and there opens to discharge near the botton of the
boiler.
4. The combination of a steam boiler, a conduit which communicates with the
intermediate part of the boiler, below the water line, passes thence along the outside
of the boiler and into the boiler near the bottom thereof, extends upward therefrom, is
enlarged at the top and thence extends downward to surround its upward extension
to near the bottom thereof and there opens to discharge near the bottom of the boiler,
and a feed water pipe arranged to discharge downward into such conduit.
5. The combination of a steam boiler, a purifier located outside of the boiler,
a conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the boiler below the water
line, and arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier, and a conduit com-
municating with the other end of the purifier and arranged to discharge into the
lower part of the boiler.
6. The combination of a steam boiler, a purifier located outside of the boiler, a conduit
communicating with the intermediate part of the boiler below the water line and
arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier, a conduit communicating with the
other end of the purifier and arranged to discharge into the lower part of the boiler,
and means for distributing the water at the point of discharge.
7. The combination of a vertical steam boiler, a purifier located outside of the boiler,
a conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the boiler below the water
line, and arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier, a conduit which
communicates with the other end of the purifier, passes into the boiler near the
bottom thereof, extends upward therefrom, is enlarged at the top and thence extends
downward to surround its upward extension to near the bottom thereof and there opens
to discharge near the bottom of the boiler.
8. The combination of the steam boiler, a purifier located outside of the boiler, a
conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the boiler below the water line,
and arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier, a feed water pipe arranged to
discharge toward the purifier into such conduit, and a conduit communicating with
the other end of the purifier and arranged to discharge into the lower part of the
boiler.
9. The combination with a vertical steam boiler, comprising a top section, a bottom
section and an enlarged intermediate section; of a purifier, a conduit communicating
with the intermediate part of the boiler below the water line, and arranged to
discharge into one end of the purifier, a feed water pipe arranged to discharge toward
the purifier into such conduit, a conduit which communicates with the other end of
the purifier, passes into the boiler near the bottom thereof, extends upward therefrom
to near the bottom of the enlarged intermediate section, is enlarged at the top and
extends thence downward to surround its upward extension and discharge near the
bottom of the boiler.
10. The combination with a steam boiler, comprising the top and bottom sections
and enlarged intermediate section, of the perforated partition, the purifier located
outside of the boiler, the conduit communicating with the intermediate part of the
boiler below the water line and arranged to discharge into one end of the purifier,
and the conduit communicating with the other end of the purifier and arranged to
discharge into the lower part of the boiler.
Dad L
1000
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.