Improvements in Automatic Feed Water Regulators, and in Steam Traps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Feed Water Regulators, and in
Steam Traps.
ROBERT BRUCK SMITH 27 Liversidge Road, Higher Tranmere Birkenhead
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention has for its object the automatic regulating of the feed water
supply to steam generators, so that each generator in a set of generators, may receive
the water necessary to maintain its proper water level and no more, in the case of the
automatic feed water regulators. And in the case of steam traps by a very slight
modification of the levers or ports of the aforesaid regulators to adapt it for
separating the water which may gather in steam pipes, from the steam and eject it
automatically.
My improved apparatus consists of an equilibrium valve made of two disc conical
faced valves of equal area, connected together at a suitable distance apart by a
spindle, the lower disc being preferably cast in one with the spindle, while the
upper disc is bored to fit said spindle, and is fitted down to a shoulder upon the
spindle, and is secured thereto by a nut and locking nut or pin to prevent loosening,
my object in making the upper disc separate from the lower, is to enable me to make
the seat for the upper disc conical valve the same area as the seat for the lower
conical disc valve; the upper valve seat will be loose, and be accurately turned and
fitted to its seat and secured thereto by screwed pins, and the method of fitting all
together will be first to place the lower valve with the spindle upon its seat, then
place the upper valve seat in its place and secure it thereto by the said screwed pins,
then place the upper conical valve upon the seat, and upon the shoulder of the
spindle, and secure it thereto by means of the aforesaid nut, locking nut or pin, and
the two valves will be ground water tight to their individual seats taking care to
keep the ground faces as narrow as possible, or I may use any other form of valve
equivalent to the aforesaid equilibrium valve such as a hollow piston valve with ports
through the valve to match the ports perforated through the chamber in which
it works.
Into the space between, or around, the two said valves which form the equilibrium
valve I admit in the case of the feed water regulators, the feed water, which when
the valves are open will flow through and pass on to supply the steam generator;
the opening and closing of this equilibrium valve or its equivalent I actuate by a
float made of steel and hollow of cylindrical form, made semi-spherical at the ends,
lying horizontally when in position, contained in, or bolted to the same casting as the
equilibrium valve, and connected to its spindle by a lever so proportioned that the
distance between the fulcrum and the float will be any suitable amount greater than
the distance between said fulcrum and the centre of the equilibrium valve spindle,
preferably about ten to one, so that when the valve opens "ins. the float will
move 34" ins. I prefer to make the fulcrum of a vee form, the end of the lever at
the float will be attached thereto by a pin, while the end at the spindle I preferably
fit with a roller, which when pressed against the end of the spindle by the weight of
the float will open the valve, against the pressure of a spring, or balance weights, or
a spring and balance weights combined, acting through a similar lever at the
opposite end of the spindle, arranged either outside or inside the box. I preferably
fix the aforesaid box to the front of the steam generator, and connect the two
together in such a manner that at the working water level within the generator the

page_text: Hoat will be half immersed or thereby, in the water of the said generator, and when it
is in this position, the power of the spring and balance weights at the upper end of
the spindle will overcome the weight of the float shutting the equilibrium valve and
thus in an automatic manner prevent the admission of the feed water to the generator;
then when the water level is lowered by the generation of the steam, the displace-
ment of the float will be less which will increase the pressure of the roller on the
lower end of the equilibrium valve spindle, and open the same against the resistance
of the spring and weights at the opposite end of the spindle, and thus in an automatic
manner admit an additional supply of feed water.
In my invention I do not allow this feed water to pass into the generator through
the space in which the float moves, but I lead it either to the upper reservoir, or to
the lower reservoirs, of water tube generators by an independent pipe. And to
accomplish this, I construct a separating wall of metal between the space in which
the float is contained and the discharge side, or outside of the equilibrium valve.
I also arrange the fulcrum on the float side of the spindle to be made movable so
that the equilibrium valve may be kept permanently open, or shut, as I may find
necessary.
I modify the aforesaid apparatus in the following way so that it may act as a steam
trap, or water separator. I remove the separating wall of metal which divides the
space in which the float is contained from the outside of the equilibrium valve or its
equivalent, and change the levers, from the first order to the second, then when the
float is raised by the collecting water it will now open the equilibrium valve or its
equivalent, instead of shutting it, and the collected water will be ejected through
what was formerly the inlet port, by the pressure of the steam on the water, the
former discharge port being removed.
In the upper part of the box I form dash plates, for the steam to strike against,
and perforated plates for the steam to strain through so that as much of the water
which may be contained in the steam be left in the steam trap, and ejected in the
manner described.
I also modify the automatic feed regulator in another way viz., 1 remove the
aforesaid separating wall of metal, and allowing the levers to remain as they are.
I make the valve upside down, so as to open in the opposite direction, then when the
float is raised by the collecting water it will also open the equilibrium valve, or its
equivalent, and the collected water will be ejected.
Further by another modification I arrange the form of the box above the float of
the automatic feed regulator to receive the steam from the generator or generators
as it passes to the engines, and the water due to priming mixed with the steam will
fall around the float and pass back into the generator by gravitation through the
connecting pipe between the space in the box containing the float, and the inside of
the generator, as low down as possible amongst the still water; by this modification
I combine the automatic feed regulator, and steam trap in one instrument.
Dated this Thirteenth day of May 1896.
ROBERT BRUCE SMITH,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Feed Water Regulators, and in
Steam Traps.
I, ROBERT BRUCE SMITH, of 27, Liversidge Road, Higher Tranmere, Birkenhead,
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 apparatus for automatically regulating the feed water supply

page_text: of steam generators, whereby a generator or each generator in a set of generators may
receive the water necessary to maintain its proper water level and no more; such
apparatus being capable of adaptation-by a slight modification of parts-so as to
act as an automatically discharging steam trap or separator, or as a combined feed
water regulator and steam trap or separator.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional front view, Figure 2 a
sectional side view, and Figure 3 a plan, of feed water regulating apparatus according
to this invention, applied to the upper chamber of a three chambered water-tube
boiler.
The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, consists of an equilibrium valve a a which
controls the supply of feed water. The valve a a is operated by the float b, both valve
and float being contained in the box or chamber c, but occupying separate compart-
ments therein, divided by the partition d. e is a feed check valve in communication
with that compartment of the chamber c which contains the valve a a, and f is the
feed inlet pipe leading from said compartment to the boiler.
The equilibrium valve a a consists of two conical valves of equal area mounted on
the same spindle. The lower valve a is preferably cast in one with the spindle, whilst
the upper valve a is bored to fit the spindle and is fitted down to a shoulder thereon.
My object in making the upper valve separate from the spindle is to enable me to
make the upper valve seat of the same area as the lower seat. The upper valve seat
is accurately turned and fitted and secured by pins. The valve is fitted as follows:-
The spindle and lower valve are placed upon the lower seat and the upper seat is then
placed in position and secured. The upper valve is then fitted down to its seat and to
the shoulder on the spindle and is secured on the latter by a nut and lock nut or pin.
The valves will be ground water tight to their respective seats, care being taken to
keep their ground faces as narrow as possible.
I may however use any other form of valve equivalent to the aforesaid equilibrium
valve, such as a hollow piston valve with ports through the valve to match similar
ports in the chamber in which the valve works.
Feed water is admitted into the space around the equilibrium valve a a from the
check valve e, which water will, when the valve a a is open, pass through the pipe f
into the boiler.
g.
The valve a a is actuated by the float b, which latter is partially counterbalanced by,
and works in conjunction with, a loaded lever The float b consists of a hollow steel
vessel of cylindrical form with semi-spherical ends. In practice the weight of this
float will probably exceed its displacement. In any case it will be of considerable
weight of metal in order to withstand the boiler pressure. The weight of the float
therefore is employed to open the valve a a, and this it does by means of the
bifurcated lever 6', of the first order of levers, fulcrummed on the vee end of the
screwed rod 62, which latter is adjustable vertically by the wheel nut 63 working in
the bracket The valve end of the float lever is provided with an anti-friction
roller 6, which bears against the bottom end of the valve spindle. The float end of
the lever b' is by preference ten times longer than the valve end thereof, so that to
open the valve a a a distance of gths ins. the float b must descend 34 ins. The float
is swivelled to the lever by the pins 6.
The lever g is mounted on a spindle i passing through a stuffing box in the upper
part of the valve compartment of the chamber c. On the inner end of said spindle
is mounted a tappet g' provided with an antifriction roller which bears upon the
upper end of the spindle of the valve a a. The tappet g' is fulcrummed by the vee
ended pin 92 which enters a vee recess in said tappet, and the outer end of the spindle i
is centred on the set screw in the bracket 3, whereby the spindle i rotates freely
and is not affected by the pressure within the valve chamber. The outer end of the
lever is loaded by the weights g on the rod 9, which latter is guided by the
bracket and is also weighted by the compression spring 9 which abuts against
said bracket. The lever g may however be loaded by weights only or by a spring
only.
In operation and when the water level in the boiler and chamber c falls, and the

page_text: immersion of the float bis decreased, the weight of the float acting through the
lever will raise the valve a a against the pressure of the lever g, and water is
admitted to the boiler. When the water in the boiler and chamber c rises so as to
about half immerse the float b the loaded lever g will overcome the weight of the float
and thus in an automatic manner will close the valve and prevent further admission of
water.
The position of the valve a a can be readily ascertained by noting the position of
the lever g.
By dividing the chamber c into a valve compartment and a float compartment, by
the partition d or by bolting two chambers together, I am enabled to pass feed water
direct to the boiler without passing it through the float chamber, whereby disturbance
of the float is avoided; and by disposing the float in a chamber separated from the
boiler but in water and steam communication therewith by means of the pipes c¹,
the float is protected against violent disturbance of the boiler water when in a
sea way.
By arranging the fulcrum of the float lever upon an adjustable screwed rod, the
valve a a may be kept permanently open, or shut, by means of the wheel nut b³.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation and Figure 5 an end view illustrating the adaptation
of the apparatus above described as an automatically discharging steam trap. In the
upper part of the chamber c I form a dash plate c² for the steam to strike against, and
a perforated plate c³ through which the steam strains, so that as much water as possible
is separated from the steam, which water drains into the lower part of the chamber.
The float lever 6' is a lever of the first order, but the position of the valve a a is
reversed, and the valve and float chambers are in water communication, so that when
sufficient water has collected to half immerse the float, or thereabout, the loaded
lever g will open the valve a a, and the collected water will be ejected by the boiler
pressure through what was formerly the inlet port for feed water. The weight of the
float b then closes the valve. In all other respects the parts act and are lettered as in
Figs. 1-3. It must however be understood that in this case the lever 6' may be
of the second order and the lever g of the first order, the valve remaining as in
Figs. 1-3.
Figure 6 is a sectional front view, Figure 7 a sectional side view, and Figure 8 a plan,
of a combined feed water regulating apparatus and water separator. In this case I
form the upper part of the chamber c as a steam trap, through which steam passes on
its way from the boiler to the engines, such steam trap being provided with a dash-
plate and strainers c³. Water in the steam, and water due to priming, will fall
around the float b and pass back into the generator by gravitation through the pipe c¹,
such pipe being conducted as low as possible amongst the still water, so as to cause a
circulation. As there will be a decrease of pressure in the upper part of the chamber c,
owing to the motion of the steam, the float 6 must be guarded against the consequent
rise of water level in such chamber, and to do this I form a mantle h over the float.
The mantle h is preferably cast in one with the chamber c, so that whilst spaces exist
on each side of the mantle (Fig. 7) for the passage of water, the edge of the mantle
is sealed in water, whereby the true boiler pressure is constantly exerted on the surface
of the water within the mantle by means of the steam pipe /'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Apparatus for regulating the admission of feed water to boilers, comprising a
chamber formed of or divided into two compartments, one of which is in water and
steam communication with a boiler and contains a float, and the other of which
contains a valve which controls the passage of feed water through its own chamber to
the boiler, said valve being opened by the weight of said float, and closed by a
loaded lever when said float is sufficiently immersed to be overcome by said
lever, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the
drawings.

page_text: 2. Apparatus for separating water from steam comprising a chamber whose upper
portion is provided with a dash plate and strainer and through which steam is passed,
so that water drains to the lower portion thereof, a float and valve disposed in such
lower portion, which valve is opened by a loaded lever when said float is sufficiently
immersed to be overcome by said lever so that accumulated water is ejected by boiler
pressure, said valve being closed by the weight of said float, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
3. Providing the upper portion of the float chamber of apparatus for regulating the
admission of feed water to boilers as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3,
with a dash plate and strainers, and causing the steam to pass through such portion
on its way from the boiler to the engines, whereby water is separated from such ste um
and returns from such chamber to the boiler by gravitation, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures 6 to 8 of the drawings.
J. A. COUBROUGH,
Registered Patent Agent (Qual. by Exam.),
10 St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.