IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AUTOMATICALLY THE SUPPLY OF GAS, AIR, AND WATER, OR ANY, ONE OR MORE OF THEM, TO STEAM BOILERS HEATED BY GAS OR OTHERWISE, AND FOR UTILISING THE HEAT OF THE GASES PRODUCED OR HEATED BY COM- BUSTION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ritchie, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING AUTOMATICALLY THE SUPPLY OF GAS, AIR, AND WATER, OR
ANY, ONE OR MORE OF THEM, TO STEAM BOILERS HEATED BY GAS OR OTHERWISE,
AND FOR UTILISING THE HEAT OF THE GASES PRODUCED OR HEATED BY COM-
BUSTION."
Sealed the 17th March 1868, and dated the 23rd September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Charles Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
September 1867.
I, CHARLES RITCHIE, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AUTOMATICALLY THE SUPPLY OF GAS, AIR, AND WATER,
OR ANY ONE OR MORE OF THEM, TO STEAM BOILERS HEATED BY GAS OR OTHERWISE, AND
FOR UTILIZING. THE HEAT OF THE GASES PRODUCED OR HEATED BY COMBUSTION,"
to be as follows:-
I insert in the boiler at any convenient part a small. cylinder or receptacle,
one or each end, of which is open to or connected with the boiler.. Within this
cylinder or receptacle I place a piston or valve, between which piston or valve
and the cover or other suitable portion of the cylinder or receptacle is a spiral
or other spring of suitable tension, or to which piston or valve or to its
rod is connected in any suitable way a weight or weights that tend to force

page_text: it inwards in the cylinder or receptacle in opposition to the steam which
passes into the cylinder or receptacle from the boiler. The rod of this
piston or valve is connected by means of a lever and toothed wheels, or in any
other convenient way with (in the case of a boiler heated by gas) the tap or
other contrivance which regulates the supply of gas, and at the same time
with the tap or other contrivance which regulates the supply of atmos
pheric air, so that when there is too great pressure of steam within the
boiler the supply of gas is lessened or cut off, and the supply of air is
at the same time regulated so as always to be the amount required for
combustion, or for cooling down the contents of the boiler, in order that the
water may not be prevented by excess of pressure of the steam from entering
the boiler from a cistern or any other source of supply that is used, and also
that the pressure of the steam when it has become too great may be lessened.
When a damper is used to regulate the air passing into or from the furnace
this damper may be opened or closed by means of the piston or valve above
mentioned.
:
:
"In the case of a boiler heated by gas the tap or other contrivance which
regulates the supply of gas may if desirable be opened or closed at the same
time. The supply of water may be regulated by means of a float within the
boiler, which float is connected by a rod, chain and pulley, or any other
suitable contrivance with the tap or other apparatus used for admitting the
water to the boiler, and which float (in the case of a furnace heated by gas)
may be connected also with the tap or other apparatus used for supplying
atmospheric air, or gas, or both to the furnace, so that the heat may be kept
moderate while the water is low. The flue or other passage used for con-
veying away the products of combustion from the furnace may to a greater or
less extent be surrounded by a casing, and the space thus formed between the
flue or passage and the casing may be made a means of conveying from the
outer atmosphere air (which is warmed in its passage) into a chamber or
chambers, or one or more such like inclosed spaces, or the space between the
flue or passage and the casing may be used for conveying away the products
of combustion; the flue or passage itself being then used for supplying pure
and warmed air to a room or rooms, or one or more such like inclosed spaces.
Also this mode of heating the air supply may be used with other than steam
boiler furnaces; also with such an arrangement the air niay be rendered
suitably hygrometric by the evaporation of water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
March 1868.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
RITCHIE, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her'
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Ritchie, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Ritchie,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Ritchie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AUTOMATICALLY THE SUPPLY OF GAS, AIR, AND WATER,
OR ANY ONE OR MORE OF THEM, TO STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR UTILITIZING THE HEAT OF
THE GASES PRODUCED OR HEATED BY COMBUSTION," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Ritchie, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles, Ritchie, do hereby declare.
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
I construct in or attach to the boiler at.any convenient part thereof a small
cylinder or receptacle, one end of which is in communication with the boiler;
within this cylinder or receptacle is a piston or valve provided with a spiral or
other spring of suitable tension or pressure, to which piston or valve or to its
rod is connected in any suitable way a weight or weights that tend to force it
downward in the cylinder or receptacle in opposition to the steam which
passes from the boiler into the said cylinder or receptacle. The rod of this

page_text: piston or valve is connected by means of a lever and toothed wheels, or in any
other convenient way with (in the case of a boiler. heated by gas) the tap or
other contrivance which regulates the supply of gas, and also with the tap or
other contrivance which regulates the supply of atmospheric. air, so that when
there is too great pressure of steam within, the boiler the supply of gas is
'lessened or cut off, and the supply of air is at the time regulated as may
be required for the support of combustion or for cooling down the contents of
the boiler in order that the water may not be prevented by excess of pressure
of the steam from entering the boiler from the cistern or any other source of
supply that may be used, and also that the pressure of the steam when it
becomes too great may be lessened, and that when a damper is used to
regulate the air passing into or from the furnace this damper may be opened
or closed by means of the piston or valve arrangements above mentioned.
In the case of a boiler heated by gas the tap or other contrivance which
regulates the supply of gas may if desired be opened or closed, and the
supply of water may be regulated by means of a float within the boiler, which
float is connected by a rod, chain, and pulley, or any other suitable contrivance
with the tap or other apparatus used for regulating the supply of water to the
boiler, and which float (in the case of a furnace heated by gas) may be con-
nected also with the tap or other apparatus used for supplying atmospheric
air or gas or both to the furnace, so that the heat may be moderated while
the water is low. The flue or other passage used for conveying away the
products of combustion from the furnace may, to a greater or less extent be
surrounded by a casing, and the space thus formed between the flue or
passage and the casing may be made a means of conveying from the outer
atmosphere air (which is warmed in its passage) into a chamber or chambers
or one or more such like enclosed spaces; or the space between such flue or
passage and the casing may be used for conveying away the products of com-
bustion; the flue or passage itself being then used for supplying pure and
warmed air to a room or rooms, or one or more such like enclosed spaces.
Further this mode of heating the air supply may be used with other than
steam boiler furnaces; also with such an arrangement the air may be rendered
suitably hygrometric by evaporation of water.
. Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention I now proceed to describe in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or carried out in practice, which I shall do by referring to the
Drawings accompanying these Presents by the words, figures, and letters of
reference marked thereon and herein-after mentioned, that is to say:-

page_text: and of the details of the Invention thereby illustrated.
Figure 1 represents a section of a steam boiler heated by 'gas with
apparatus for automatic regulation arranged according to my Invention.
a is the boiler; b, a cylinder having one end open to the interior of the
boiler; the cylinder b is fitted with a piston pressed downwards by a spring
adjusted to such pressure as may be required. But weights may be employed
to load the piston instead of using the pressure of a spring, and such weights
may be either suspended from the piston' and within the boiler, or made to
bear downwards upon it outside the boiler with a lever if required similar
to that of a safety valve. c is a throttle valve in the main pipe which sup-
plies gas to heat the boiler; this throttle valve c is connected by a lever to the
rod of the piston 6, so that as the piston 6 is raised by the pressure within the
boiler the throttle valve c is closed, and the quantity of gas passing through
the pipe is diminished; or if the piston 6 is raised sufficiently the gas may be
entirely cut off. Instead of a throttle valve a stop-cock, slide; or other-valve
may be used, and may be actuated from the piston 6 by a rack and pinion or
other convenient mechanical contrivance. e is a burner used for heating the
boiler; this burner may be either a ring or row of plain jets or flames, or it
may be arranged as a series of burners known as Bunsen's burners, or may
consist of numerous jets playing through wire gauze, or it may be any of the
burners usually employed for heating by the combustion of gas. The amount
of gas supplied to the burner e being regulated as above described: by. the
piston 6 acting on the valve c it is possible that cases may occur when. the
pressure within the boiler will cause the supply of gas to be entirely cut off
and the burner e to be extinguished. In such cases on the pressure in the
boiler being reduced the valve c would be reopened, and gas. would be re-
admitted to the burners e, and unless it were rekindled the gas: would escape
without useful effect, and might accumulate in the heating chambers or flues
and mingle with air so as to produce an explosive mixture. To prevent this I
provide a small gas pipe d extending from a point in the main pipe above.the
throttle valve c to a small rekindling burner f adjacent to the main.burner.
By this means as the supply of gas to the pipe d of-the-rekindling burner fis
not controlled by the throttle or other valve c the rekindling burner fiis kept
constantly lighted notwithstanding the increase or decrease of pressure. in the
boiler, and thus this burner serves to rekindle the main burners e after
extinction, that is, as soon as a fresh supply of gas reaches them upon the
reopening of the throttle valve.

page_text: Figure 2 represents a section of a boiler heated by a furnace with appa-
ratus for automatic regulation arranged according to my Invention.
a is the boiler; b, the cylinder fitted with loaded piston, as described with
reference to Figure 1; 7 is a system of louvre valves fitted to the ash-pit door of
the furnace, and n is a damper fitted to the flue; k is a lever connected at one
end to the piston 6 and, at the other end to the louvre valves 1, so that when
the piston b rises these valves are. closed, and m is another lever connected at
one end to the piston 6 and at the other end to the damper n, so that as the
piston 6 rises the damper n is closed. This damper arrangement being simul-
taneous in its action with the action upon the louvre valves, these louvre
valves 1, with the lever and rods for working them from the piston 6 and the
damper n, should be used together, as represented in the Figure. The appa-
ratus for feeding the boiler with water represented in Figures 1 and 2, consists
of a float h connected by a rod to a valve opening downwards in the mouth
piece of a feed pipe g which communicates with a cistern at a level, sufficiently
high to give the feed water a pressure greater than that within the boiler;
a valve opening upwards is also fitted in the mouth piece of the feed pipe.so
as to prevent the water being ejected by excess. of pressure within the boiler.
When the water level in the boiler is lowered the float h sinks and opens the
valve connected with it so as to admit a. fresh supply of feed water, and when
the water level in the boiler is thus raised the float h rising closes the feed
valve and prevents farther supply of feed water.
In cases where it is inconvenient to have a supply cistern at such height as
to command the feed by simple hydrostatic pressure the float h may be employed
to work any of the feed apparatus usually employed. in such cases. When
the interior of the boiler contains tubes or other obstructions, or when it is
convenient to have the regulating apparatus in some other position than in the
boiler itself, I employ the arrangement represented in Fig. 3.
a is part
of the boiler to which I attach a box or receptacle p communicating
freely with the boiler both at top and bottom, so that the pressure and water
level in p coincide with the pressure and water level in the boiler itself. To
this box or receptacle p I fit the regulating cylinder 6 and a suitable float
apparatus, for instance, such as that represented at g, h, which, will be readily
understood by the practical man. I prefer that the products of combustion
from the gas burners or from the furnace be conducted by pipes, flues, or
other ducts. through casings or heat receptacles, so that the heat of the said
flues or other ducts can be utilised for heating the outer atmospheric air with
which such casings or heat receptacles are to be supplied by means of
suitable openings or ducts, and thus I effect the warming of rooms, chambers,

page_text: or such like enclosed spaces by supplies of pure warmed air which are to enter
the room by means of openings in the said casings or heat receptacles.
All the openings can be provided with regulating slides or valves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have
it understood that I do not limit myself to the details represented in the
Drawings, as these may be varied in proportion and position to suit particular
circumstances; also that I do not claim the mechanical details of construction
per se and apart from the purposes of my said Invention as herein described;
but what I do claim is, the Invention of improvements in apparatus for regu-
lating automatically the supply of gas, air, and water, or any one or more of
them, to steam boilers heated by gas or otherwise, and for utilizing the heat
of the gases produced or heated by combustion; the nature and character
whereof is described in the outset of these Presents by the words preceding
the words "Description of the Drawings."
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ritchie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CHARLES RITCHIE. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX. P. WRIGHT,
Secretary to the
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur St., Charing Cross.