Liting Injectors for Feeding water to Steam-generators and for like Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: poprotein tomato Liting Injectors for Feeding water to
Steam-generators and for like Purposes.
We WILLIAM MCELROY, of 130, Canton Street, in the City of Brooklyn and State
of New York, United States of America, Machinist, and HENRY CONNETT, of Temple
Court in the City, and State of New York, United States of America, Patent
Solicitor 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:-
Our invention relates to injectors belonging to the class of lifting-injectors, wherein
the injector, at starting first produces a vacuum and raises the water, and then, when
the proper velocity is attained, forces the water into the generator.
The object of our invention is to provide an improved lifting-injector having an
automatically-operating valve, arranged between the overflow-branch or outlet and the
combining, lifting, and discharging nozzles, wherby, when the steam is first turned
on it opens said valve and allows the steam and water to overflow at the said over-
flow-branch; but when the proper velocity is established in the combining and
discharging cones, this valve closes and prevents the admission of air from the over-
flow-branch. Another feature of our injector is the arrangement of a drip.check-valve
to control the admission of water, whereby, should the vacuum break, the water is
prevented for the time from flowing back, or until the vacuum is re-established.
Our invention will be hereinafter fully described and its novel features carefully
defined in the claimes.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate our invention :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal, axial elevation of the injector.
Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sections of same, taken respectively, in the planes indicated
by lines 2, 2, and 3, 3, in Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 1. but showing the automatic valve
lifted or onen.

page_text: Figure 5 illustrates a slight modification, which will be hereinafter described.
Figure 6 also illustrates a slight modification, or variation, in the mechanical
construction of the injector, that will be hereinafter described.
A is the injector-casing, in which are constructed the water-receiving chamber a,
and the over flow chamber a', the two being separated by a partition a². B is the
inlet branch for the water opening into chamber a, and C is the overflow-branch,
opening out from chamber a². D is a lifting check-valve in the receiving chamber a,
arranged to check the outflow of water from said chamber at branch B, in case the
vacuum breaks. This valve has a small perforation or aperture b, which permits the
water to gradually drain from chamber a after the injector has been stopped. This is
designed to free said chamber of water and thus prevents freezing in cold weather. It
is only necessary that the chamber a shall have such a drainage-aperture and we prefer
to make it in the valve as shewn ; but it might be arranged under the valve or
otherwise.
E is the steam-inlet from the generator; F is the steam-cone connecting with said
inlet; G is the lifting-cone into which the steam-cono enters; H is the combining-
cone; 1 is the discharging cone, and J is the injector-outlet leading to the generator.
Around the combining and discharging cones, H and I, is arranged a casing, K,
which is coned at its upper part and connected integrally, by preference, with the
lifting cone G. In the coned upper portion of this casing K, are formed large ports
or openings c, c and over these ports fits a cone shaped valve L the upper part of
which fits on and may slide over the lifting cone G, which is made cylindrical
exteriorly.
The combining-cone H is connected by supports d, d, with a ring which is screwed
onto the discharging-cone I. The casing K is also screwed onto the discharging-cone
and the latter is formed, by preference integrally with the outlet branch J, which is
screwed into the bottom of the injector-casing A. The upper end of the lifting-cone G
fits snugly in an aperture in the partition a².
It will be seen that when the valve L is in the position seen in Fig. 1, it closes the
ports or openings c, c, in casing K; and the overflow chamber a¹ and overflow branch C
are entirely cut off from the passage through the cones; but when said valve is raised,
as in Fig. 4. the communication between said passage and the overflow is fully
established.
The operation is as follows:-
When steam is admitted to the injector it passes into the casing K, through the
lifting-cone, and acting on the flared inner face of valve L, raises the same and blows
out through the parts c, c and overflow-branch C. This establishes a vacuum, water
rises through inlet-branch B, by raising valve D, passes through the lifting-cone and
ports c, c, and overflows at branch C. As soon as a current with the proper velocity
is established in the injector the valve L, will drop and close, and the water that may
have collected in casing K will be drawn into the discharging-cone I. The valve L
prevents the entry of air to casing K from branch C.
Should the vacuum break for the moment, check-valve D. will instantly close, and
prevent the sudden outflow of the water from chamber a and the water will thus be
held in said chamber until the vacuum is again established.
It will be seen that casing K forms a chamber in which is housed the passage through
the cones, and this passage is cut off from the overflow outlet by the valve L, which
is normally closed, and which opens only when the back-pressure from the inside is
sufficient to lift it. This employment of a normally closed valve has the advantage
that if it should stick from any cause, it will assuredly be raised by the inside pressure
before a current is established through the cones at starting, and if the vacuum breaks
for an instant, the valve rises high enough to emit a very little steam. In practice,
we find that there is no minimum emission of steam at the overflow outlet, and very
little overflow of water thereat.
The construction of our injector is very simple and inexpensive. In a screw-cap. M
is formed a guide for the stem of valve D, and said valve may be inserted at the

page_text: opening closed by said cap. The enlarged base of steam-cone F screws into casing A
and is provided with a female screw to receive. the end of the steam-pipe from the
generator. The outlet-branch J, carrying all of the interior parts except the steam-
cone, is passed into the bottom of casing A and screwed fast therein.
Where the injector stands with its axis vertical, as in Figs. 1 and 4, we do not
usually employ extraneous means for closing the valves D and L; but if the injector
be placed in other positions, springs may be arranged back of them to close them.
We sometimes construct a port e, in the side of the combining cone H, to enable
the water to escape from said cone the more fully ; but this we have not found essential
on the smaller sizes of injectors.
In Fig. 5 a slight modification is shewn. In this construction the lifting-cone is
screwed into the partition a², and a space is left between its lower end and the upper
end of the cylindrical part of casing K, the conical, ported portion of said casing
being entirely cut away or omitted.
The valve L slides on cone G and seats on the upper end of casing K, thus closing.
the annular aperture or space between cone G and casing K.
In Fig. 6, which is an axial section similar to Fig. 1, we have shewn the injector
as slightly modified in its mechanical structure, but not in the least altered in principle.
In describing this modification it will be necessary only to indicate wherein the
mechanical construction differs from that seen in Figs. 1 and 5.
The water-inlet B is turned, or directed, outward and constructed to receive a
coupling or "union" as is also the steam-inlet E. The cone F is screwed into the
casing from the inside. The casing K is screwed directly into the casing A at a³:
The cone I is not formed integrally with the cap that closes the bottom of casing A,
but screws into the same.
The support d is formed integrally with the cap closing the bottom of the casing,
and the cone H is screwed into said support. The overflow outlet is provided with
a female screw to receive a waste-pipe, if such should be needed. The operation of
this injector is the same as that already described.
We are fully aware that it is not new to arrange a check-valve in the overflow
branch or outlet of an injector and this we do not claim. Nor do we claim, broadly,
the insertion of a check-valve in the water-inlet such a valve has been proposed, but
it has not been provided with a drip-aperture.
We are also aware that in one form
of lifting-injector the combining and discharging cones are connected and arranged
to slide to and fro so as to serve as a valve, and this we do not claim. In this latter
form of injector, the passage to the overflow controlled by the sliding cone, is normally
open, while in our injector it is normally closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
==
Firstly In an injector, the combination of an overflow chamber having an out-
let the lifting cone G, the combining-cone H, the discharging-cone I, the coned and
ported casing K embracing or housing said cones G, H and I and the valve L mounted
on the cone G, and controlling the ports in the casing substantially as set forth.
Secondly-In an injector, the combination with a lifting-cone G, and coned and
ported casing K, of a coned valve L, mounted on said casing and controlled by the
force of a jet of steam, or by the combined force of steam and water to automatically
open the ports in said casing K, and combining-cone H arranged within said casing,
substantially as set forth.
Thirdly-In an injection, the combination with an overflow chamber, a¹, having an
outlet of the lifting-cone G, the conical or flaring valve L, mounted on said cone. G,
the ported casing K constructed integrally with the cone G, and the combining-cone H,
arranged within said casing K substantially as herein set forth.
Fourthly In a lifting injector, the receiving chamber provided with a check-valve
to prevent the sudden outflow of the water when the vacuum breaks, said chamber
being provided with a small drainage aperture, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifthly The combination with the receiving chamber a, of the valve D, mounted
therein over the inlet, and provided with a drainage aperature, b, substantially as
set forth.
Sixthly: The combination, with a casing A, divided by a partition a³ into two
chambers a and a' of the discharging-cone I, screwed into the bottom of chamber a¹
the casing K, formed integrally with cone G, provided with ports c, c in its coned
upper part, and screwed into the discharging-cone, the lifting cone G, its upper end
fitted into partition a², the valve L mounted on cone G, and casing K, and the
combining-cone H, mounted on cone I, within casing K as set forth.
Seventhly: In an injector the combination with the shell, divided by a partition
into a receiving-chamber and an overflow-chamber for the water, of the lifting-cone,
the combining-cone and the discharging-cone, arranged in said overflow-chamber, a
housing K, arranged in said overflow-chamber, and an automatically-operated valve L
arranged in said overflow chamber, said valve controlling a passage from the interior
of said casing K, to the overflow-chamber exterior thereto, as set forth.