Improvements in Devices for Circulating the Water of Boilers and the like, and Removing Impurities therefrom.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1894
Complete. Specification Left, 22nd Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Circulating the Water of Boilers and
the like, and Removing Impurities therefrom.
We, ARTHUR Ross, of St. Clements, Carshalton Road, Sutton, in the County
of Surrey, Gentleinan, and SAMUEL JAMES WILFORD, of 72 Worship Street, in
the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
1
This invention relates to improvements in devices for circulating the water of
boilers and the like, and removing impurities therefrom, said devices being in
certain respects similar to those described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2074 of A.D. 1883, granted to J. F. Hotchkiss.
The principal object of this invention is to construct the said devices so that
they will operate automatically after being charged, to start and continue the
circulation of the water.
Another object of this invention is to construct such devices with valves capable
of operating automatically to shut off the said devices from the boiler or the like in
the event of accident to them or to their connections.
This invention comprises also, means for freeing the reservoir and connections
from air; means for maintaining the mouth of the funnel at a constant position
with regard to the water level in the boiler, despite variation of the latter; and
further improvements hereinafter specified.
According to our invention we place the said automatic valves aforesaid, or
suitable cocks, as near as possible to the points at which the up-flow and return
pipes are connected with the boiler, and we provide a charging orifice in the
reservoir of the apparatus. By closing both the valves or cocks, we can fully
charge the apparatus and the pipe connections with liquid through the charging
orifice, so that after the valves or cocks are re-opened and as soon as there is any
difference between the temperature of the water in the boiler and in the reservoir
circulation will start. Formerly it was necessary to wait until the apparatus
became automatically charged, before circulation could begin, and this was a
disadvantageous feature of the apparatus inasmuch as the occurrence of automatic
charging could not take place immediately upon commencement of the heating of
the contents of the boiler or the like, but required the generation of a pressure of
steam sufficient at least to balance the head of water in the apparatus and to expel
the air therefrom.
.
The said automatic valves are preferably each provided with a spring which is
of sufficient strength to force a loose or free valve open when the valve spindle
is moved in the proper direction to permit of movement of the valve, but which,
in the event of any excessive rush of steam or water will not offer any material
resistance to the closing of the valve automatically by the flow of fluid. Or we
can substitute for such a valve any other suitable valve to operate automatically in
like manner.
The reservoir is cast or otherwise formed with flanged connections for the up-flow
and return pipes, integral therewith. Within the said connections we place tubes
of copper or other suitable material which are extended up towards the crown of
the reservoir and at their lower ends are preferably provided with flanges which
lie against and concentric with the flanges of the connections aforesaid. By using
tubes thus constructed and arranged we are enabled to introduce and withdraw the
water at the desired points in the reservoir without complicating the construction
of the same or introducing superfluous joints.

page_text: To enable the apparatus to be used for removing oil and similar light impurities
from the water, we connect a blow-off pipe to the upper part of the reservoir,
through which the oil and such other impurities as will rise to the upper part of
the reservoir, can be blown off. A suitable valve is provided in the said pipe, to
control the blowing-off.
At the top of the reservoir I provide a blow-off orifice for air, suitably
controlled by a screw-plug, a cock, or other regulating device.
Or I connect the said orifice with a pump, aspirator, condenser, or other device
which can be used to exhaust the air wholly or partially from the reservoir or the
pipe connections.
The funnel or its equivalent is hinged or otherwise flexibly connected to the
up-take, and is provided with floats or the like, whereby it is enabled to move
automatically so as to maintain a constant position relatively to the water-level in
the boiler, which may change from time to time.
In the improved apparatus we utilize a bottom blow-off or sediment pipe as in
the apparatus described in the Specification of the said prior Patent.
A suitable mud-hole or inspection orifice can be provided in the reservoir if
desired; also an internal baffle for suitably diverting the flow of water in the
reservoir.
Dated this 6th day of February 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
"
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Circulating the Water of Boilers and
the like, and Removing Impurities therefrom.
We, ARTHUR Ross, of St. Clements, Carshalton Road, Sutton in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, and SAMUEL JAMES WILFORD, of 72 Worship Street, in
the City of London, 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:—
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the kind or class
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 2074 A.D. 1883 granted to
J. F. Hotchkiss for circulating the water of boilers or steam generators water
heaters and the like, and removing impurities therefrom.
The principal object of this invention is to so construct the said apparatus
that it will operate automatically, after being charged, to start and continue
the circulation of the water in the boiler, water-heater or other vessel to which it
is applied.
Another object of this invention is to provide such apparatus with valves
capable of operating automatically to shut off the said apparatus from the boiler
or the like in the event of accident thereto or to its connections.
Other objects are to provide means for freeing the reservoir and connections
from air; means for maintaining the mouth of the funnel at a constant position
with regard to the water level in the boiler, despite variation of the latter; and
other improvements in detail as hereinafter specified.
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood we will now proceed
"to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one end of a boiler fitted with
a circulating and purifying device according to this invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the boiler and appurtenances
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section of the rear portion of a boiler fitted
with other improvements according to this invention.

page_text: Side elevation of one form of joint for the coUNCTION OF 4 115ing a
falling funnel and the up-flow pipe.
Figure 5 is a section on the line X, X of Figure 4, and
Figure 6 is an elevation of a detail of Figures 4 and 5.
Figures 7 and 8 are longitudinal and transverse sections, respectively of a
double-ended marine boiler having our improved circulator and purifier applied
thereto.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the boiler shell. B is the end plate. C is the internal funnel for collecting
the scum and dirt froin the surface of the water. D is the reservoir. D' is a
dividing plate extending from the top to about the centre of the reservoir and
forming a baffle plate. The said baffle plate may be dispensed with, if desired.
E is the up-flow pipe, which connects the apex of the aforesaid funnel with the
reservoir D. F is the return pipe, which leads from the reservoir to the lower
part of the interior of the boiler.
With reference particularly to Figures 1 and 2, G G are valves placed as near
as possible to the points at which the up-flow and return passages are made in the
boiler. D² is a charging orifice in the reservoir, closed by a screw-plug D³.
After closing both the valves G the reservoir and the pipe connections can be
fully charged with liquid through the charging orifice D2, so that when the valves
are re-opened and as soon as there is any difference between the temperature of the
water in the boiler, and the temperature in the reservoir, circulation will commence.
Formerly it was necessary to wait until the apparatus became automatically charged
before circulation could begin, and this was a disadvantageous feature of the
apparatus inasmuch as the occurrence of automatic charging could not take place
immediately upon commencement of the heating of the contents of the boiler or
the like, but required the generation of a pressure of steam sufficient at least to
balance the head of water in the apparatus and to expel the air therefrom.
Cocks may be substituted for the valves G, to permit of the charging of the
reservoir and pipe connections aforesaid, but in the example illustrated by
Figures 1 and 2 the valves G are of special construction and are employed to
perform automatically an additional function, that is to say: Each valve comprises
a disc G¹ bevelled at its edges to bed upon the seating G2 and provided with a
guide stem extending through a guide G³ fixed in the shell and also with a boss G
which receives but is not connected to the end of the valve-spindle. Between the
disc G' and the guide G³ a spring G' is placed; this spring is of sufficient strength
to move the disc G' away from its seating when the end of the valve-spindle is
moved away from the disc, but in the event of any excessive rush of steam or water
through the apparatus owing, for example, to an accident to the reservoir or its
connections, the spring will not offer sufficient resistance to prevent the closing of
the valve automatically by the flow of fluid. For the automatic discs G₁ any
equivalent automatic valves operating for a like purpose can be substituted.
The funnel C or its equivalent is flexibly connected to the up-flow pipe E,
preferably by a hinge as shewn in Figure 3, and is provided with a Hoat C₁ or the
like, whereby its larger end is caused to rise and fall so as to maintain constantly
the proper working position relatively to the water-level in the boiler which may
change from time to time. The funnel may be counterbalanced if desired to reduce
the size of the float C₁ necessary to ensure the requisite buoyancy.
A suitable form of junction of the funnel C and up-flow pipe E is shown in
Figures 4 and 5 wherein E¹ is a casting secured to the bottom of the up-flow pipe
and provided with a channel E2, the ends of which are presented towards each other
as shown. Into the gap between the opposed ends of the channel E² a hollow
trunnion piece C2 is introduced; the interior of this trunnion piece communicates
with the interior of the funnel and with the two channels E². To keep the
trunnion piece in its proper place relatively to the two channels a pair of rings C³
are placed thereon as shown. Each of these rings makes a joint, upon its interior
circumference, with one end of the trunnions, which is free to turn in the rings, and

page_text: the said rings are firmly secured by bolts C or otherwise to lugs E³ on the
casting E. E, E are lugs which limit the movement of the trunnion and lie in
the path of the trunnion or of projections C thereon.
Or a length of flexible hose may be used to connect the funnel and the up-flow
pipe.
But we wish it to be clearly understood that in respect of this part of our
invention we do not limit ourselves to the use of any particular construction of
joint for the purpose aforesaid.
The reservoir is cast or otherwise formed with flanged connections D for the
Within the said
up-flow and return pipes, preferably integral therewith.
connections we preferably place tubes H of copper or other suitable material (see
Figure 2) which are extended up towards the crown of the reservoir and at their
lower ends are provided with flanges H' which lie against and are concentric with
the flanges D' of the connections aforesaid. By using tubes thus constructed and
arranged we are enabled to introduce and withdraw the water at the desired points
in the reservoir without complicating the construction of the same or introducing
superfluous joints.
To enable the apparatus to be used for removing oil and similar light impurities
from the water we connect a blow-off pipe I to the upper part of the reservoir,
through which pipe the oil and such other impurities as will rise to the upper part
of the reservoir, can be blown off. A suitable valve is provided in the said pipe, to
control the blowing-off. The blow-off pipe I may also be used in cases where the
reservoir is not provided with a charging orifice.
We may use the charging orifice D³ or the oil blow-off I as an outlet for the air,
or we may provide a special orifice controlled by a special cock for this purpose.
Or we may provide the oil channel with a two-way cock having one way for oil
and another way for air exhaust.
We may also charge the reservoir by pumping water into the boiler when all
The
the outlets except the top blow-off or air-cock of the reservoir are closed.
compression of the air in the boiler will force the water to rise until it fills the
reservoir.
We sometimes connect the air way with a pump, aspirator, condenser, or other
device which can be used to exhaust the air wholly or partially from the reservoir
and the pipe connections.
In our improved apparatus we utilize a bottom blow-off or sediment pipe J
as in the apparatus described in the Specification of the above mentioned prior
Patent.
A suitable mud-hole or inspection orifice can be provided in the reservoir if
desired, also an internal baffle plate for suitably diverting the flow of water in the
reservoir.
We preferably employ an internal spreader or distributor for the water which
enters the boiler or heater from the return pipe. This spreader or distributor may
take the form of a perforated pipe such as that frequently used to distribute the
feed-water in a steam- boiler.
In Figures 7 and 8 the circulating and purifying apparatus is shown attached to
the side of the shell. In this it is conveniently applied to double ended marine
boilers. We have in this figure indicated two funnels but it is obvious that we
may use in some instances one funnel only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination, with a steam generator or heater or other vessel, of a
circulator such as that herein described which can be charged from outside the
apparatus, and which will then induce circulation as soon as the contents of the
boiler or other vessel are heated, for the purpose specified.
2. A circulator, comprising a reservoir fitted with up-flow and return pipes

page_text: connecting the reservoir with the boiler or other vessel, and having for opening and
closing the said up-flow and return pipes, automatically-operating valves placed in
proximity to the points at which said pipes join the boiler. or other vessel,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
3. A circulating and purifying apparatus such as that hereinabove described
having a charging orifice with means for opening and closing the same, and fitted
with a bottom blow-off pipe, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, of the top blow-off pipe I, and the reservoir D, with or
without the charging orifice, substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
5. The circulator and purifier provided with an air-outlet at the upper part of
the reservoir, and with means for opening and closing said outlet, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination, with the circulator and purifier, of a buoyant funnel
constructed and hinged to the up-flow pipe substantially as set forth, for the purpose
specified.
7. The apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, and operating as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.