Improvements relating to the Heating and Purifying of Feed Water for Steam Boilers and like Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
TROVISIONAL DIIVATION.
Improvements relating to the Heating and Purifying of Feed Water
for Steam Boilers and like Vessels.
We, WILLIAM CLARK, and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of
37 Whitworth Road, Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: :-
This invention has reference to the manner in which we construct and arrange
apparatus and fittings for supplying feed water to boilers and for purifying the
water from the impurities contained in it before introduction into the boiler, and
also for extracting oil, grease, or other fatty matter held in suspension in the water
employed for marine engines and like purposes.
In carrying our invention into effect when arranging our improvements for
attachment to ordinary Lancashire or Cornish boilers we make the pipe from the
feed pump to pass into and around the inner space of the boiler and through the
same for the purpose of heating the water when passing through the pipe, and we
convey the water after having passed through the steam space in its pipe circuit
to a settling chamber or exterior sediment casing in which the water will be
allowed to remain comparatively at rest before it is drawn from thence for feeding
into the boiler.
1
We make our settling chamber of any desired shape and of any suitable metal,
and we arrange therein a number of baffle plates or projecting ridges preferably
inclined within the chamber for the purpose of dividing the water into thin sheets
or layers when held within it, in order that the solids or other impurities which
are freed when the water is raised in temperature may be deposited or slipped
down free from disturbance by the gradual upward current of the feed water
within the settling chamber.
The angular projecting ridges or baffle plates we make with suitable openings
or perforations for allowing the sediment to fall from one ridge to the other, these
openings or perforations being arranged to overlap or not to be opposite those'
above and below them; we prefer to incline the ridge plates from the sides
towards the centre, the inclination being upwards in order that the solids or
sediment deposited on one ridge or plate may pass on to another in a radical or
opposite direction, thus falling gradually to the bottom where the matter can be blown
off by an ordinary blow off cock or other well known devices. We deliver the water
after having passed through the boiler to the under side of the settling chamber
and cause it to ascend, and we withdraw it from the upper surface to feed the
boiler making it preferably to pass through a special combination branch piece
having an improved valve therein for controlling the supply although we do not
limit the application of our invention to any particular form of branch piece or
to any special form of inlet or controlling valves or cocks.
The action of our apparatus is as follows;-The water is forced through the
feed pipes by any ordinary force pump or injector round the boiler where it
becomes heated in the steam space to a very high temperature.
This temperature causes the lime and other solids held in a state of suspension
or solution to be freed and by the continual forward motion of the water in the feed
pipes the solids are carried out again into our settling chamber entering near the
lower end, where the water being in a state of comparative rest the deposit takes
•

page_text: ;
place the feed water thus heated and delivered to the chamber gradually rises
to the top leaving all the solids or impurities at the bottom or on the shelves or
plates which direct the sediment to the bottom where it can be blown off or
withdrawn as required. The water at the top of the settling chamber thus freed
from solids by high teniperature and continual precipitation is withdrawn from an
outlet near the top to feed the main body of water in the boiler. Any deposit
that may be left in the ordinary feed pipes can be blown out by our improved
form of cock having two ways through it, one for conveying the feed water
containing all impurities to the circuit pipes in the boiler and the other water
way conveying the purified water back from the settling chamber to feed the
main body of water in the boiler. We make this improved valve in one suitable
form with a web or division plate in the main portion, the outer end of the
division plate being taken into a branch piece for supplying the impure water
and to a similar branch piece or flange attachment for supplying or receiving the
purified water at each end, that is, there are two branches at one end or two
union bosses, the one receiving the water from the pump and passing it through
above the web plate to the circuit pipe on the other end, while the other similar
branch or connection receives the purified water from the settling chamber and
passes it under the web plate to another branch or connection for supplying the
purified water to the boiler.
We provide a boss upon the upper portion of our junction piece body for
receiving a valve stem and ordinary gland and stuffing box through which we
pass a spindle carrying an ordinary screw down valve upon its end. We provide
a seat and opening within the web plate to receive this valve so that when the
spindle is manipulated, the two chambers may be placed one in communication
with the other and when the stop cock or back pressure valve is closed which
supplies the water from the purifier or settling chamber and the communication
valve is opened, the water within the tube circuit in the boiler can be made to.
scour out the pipes for the purpose of removing any sediment which may have
become deposited at the corners and thus the whole of the pipes to be cleaned by
the water and steam forcing through. Similarly by reversing the action and
shutting off the supply from the pump and allowing the connection to and from
the purifier or settling chamber to be opened the water can be set in constant
circulation throughout by the valve being opened. We are enabled by this
arrangement of our improved valve to clear out all before it in the feed
pipes round the boiler and to blow everything out within the settling chamber
when the sludge cocks or valves are opened which we provide upon this
chamber.
When arranging our improvements for application to sea-going boilers in which
the feed water is mainly obtained from the condensers and the water is con-
sequently much impregnated with oil, grease and other fatty matters from the
lubricators of the engine, we make our settling chamber of somewhat different
form internally and we provide that its action shall be such that the inlet from
the feed pumps enters a settling chamber near the top and the outlet to the boiler
is taken from near the bottom or lower end so that when the feed water in its
impure state mixed with oil or like matters enters the upper end of the settling
chamber these impurities being of a much less specific gravity than water will
remain on the top surface the solids only sinking to the bottom to be withdrawn
by the sludge cock while the impurities may be withdrawn by a blow off cock and
valve arranged at the top.
We provide a gauge glass and indicating cocks upon our chamber to record the
condition of the water within the chamber so as to determine the blowing-off
stage of the operation; we take our water from the feed pump first round the
boiler in the steam space prior to taking it to the settling chamber and employ
our improved valve as hereinbefore described when arrauging our improvements
upon an ordinary land boiler.

page_text: We do not limit the application of our invention to any particular form of valve
or arrangement of settling chamber or. to any special type of boiler, but we modify
the same to suit any special requirement, employing. well known valves and cocks
for controlling the water and for feeding the boiler.
Dated this 1st day of February 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements relating to the Heating and Purifying of Feed Water
for Steam Boilers and like Vessels.
We, WILLIAM CLARK, and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of
37 Whitworth Road, Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Engineers, 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 has reference to the manner in which we construct and arrange
apparatus and fittings for supplying feed water to boilers and for purifying the
water from the impurities contained in it before. introduction into the, boiler, and
also for extracting oil, grease, or other fatty matter held in suspension in the water
employed for general engine work, for marine engines and for like purposes.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a Lancashire boiler with our improvements
attached and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of a marine boiler. having our improved
fittings thereon.
'
:
Figures 5 and 6 are diagramatic views of an alternative method we sometimes
adopt.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of our improved valve and,
Figure 8 is a plan of a modified form of the same type of valve.
In carrying our invention into effect when arranging our, improvements for
attachment to. an ordinary, Lancashire or Cornish boiler we, arrange the, parts as
shown in Figures 1 and 2. We make the pipe A from the feed pump, to pass into
and around the inner space B of the boiler and through the same for the purpose
of heating the water when passing through the pipe A 1, and we convey the water.
after having passed through the steam space in its pipe circuit to, a settling
chamber or exterior sediment casing. C in which the water will be allowed to
remain comparatively at rest before it is drawn from thence: for feeding into the
boiler.
We make our settling chamber C of any desired shape, and of any suitable.
metal, and we arrange therein a number of baffle plates or projecting ridges, D
preferably inclined within the chamber for the purpose of dividing the water into
thin sheets or layers when held within it, in order that the solids or other impurities
which are freed when the water is raised in temperature. may, be deposited or
slipped down free from disturbance by the gradual upward current of, the feed
water within the settling chamber. The angular.or other projecting ridges or
baffle plates we make with suitable openings or perforatious for allowing the
sediment to fall from one ridge to the other, these openings or perforations being
arranged to overlap or not to be opposite those above and below them; we prefer
to incline the ridge plates from the sides towards the centre, the inclination being

page_text: upwards, in order that the solids or sediment deposited on one ridge or plate may
pass on to another in a radial or opposite direction thus falling gradually to the
bottom where the matter can be blown off by any ordinary blow off cock pipe E
or by other well known devices. We deliver the water after having passed it
through the boiler to the under side of the settling chamber and cause it to ascend,
and we withdraw it from the upper surface by the pipe F to feed' the boiler
making it sometimes to pass through a special combination branch piece having an
improved valve G or H therein for controlling the supply although we do not
limit the application of our invention to any particular form of branch piece or to
any special form of inlet or controlling valves or cocks.
The action of our apparatus is as follows-The water is forced through the
feed pipes A, A1 by any ordinary force pump or injector round the inside of the
boiler B where it becomes heated in the steam space to a very high temperature.
This temperature causes the lime and other solids held in a state of suspension or
solution to be freed and by the continual forward motion of the water in the feed
pipes the solids are carried out again into our settling chamber C entering through
the pipe A 2 near the lower end, where the water being in a state of comparative
rest the deposit takes place; the feed water thus heated and delivered to the
chamber gradually rises to the top leaving all the solids or impurities at the
bottom or on the shelves or plates D which direct the sediment to the bottom
where it can be blown off or withdrawn as required through E. The water at the
top of the settling chamber thus freed from solids by high temperature and continual
precipitation is withdrawn from an outlet F near the top to feed the main body of
water in the boiler. Any deposit that may be left in the ordinary feed pipes can
be blown out by our improved form of cock G having two ways 91 g 2 through it,
one g 1 for conveying the feed water containing all impurities to the circuit pipes
in the boiler and the other water way 9 2 for conveying the purified water back from
the settling chamber to feed the main body of water in the boiler. We make this
improved valve in one suitable form with a web or division plate 93 in the main
portion as shown at Figures 7 and 8 the one side of the division plate being taken
into a branch piece 94 for supplying the impure water and the other side to a
similar branch piece or flange attachment g 5 for supplying or receiving the purified
water at each end, that is, there are two branches or flanges at one end or two
union bosses, the one receiving the water from the pump and passing it through,
above the web plate to the circuit pipe on the other end, while the other similar
branch or connection receives the purified water from the settling chamber and
passes it under the web plate to another branch or connection for supplying the
purified water to the boiler.
We provide a boss 96 upon the upper portion of our junction piece body for
receiving a valve stem and ordinary gland and stuffing box through which we pass
a spindle carrying an ordinary screw down valve K upon its end. We provide a
seat and opening within the web plate to receive this valve so that when the
spindle is manipulated the two chambers g 1 9 2 may be placed one in communication
with the other and when the stop cock or back-pressure valve is closed which
supplies the water from the purifier or settling chamber and the communication
valve is opened, the water within the tube circuit in the boiler can be made to
scour out the pipes for the purpose of removing any sediment which may have
become deposited at the corners and thus the whole of the pipes can be rapidly
cleaned by the water and steam forcing through. Similarly by reversing the
action and shutting off the supply from the pump and allowing the connection to
and from the purifier or settling chamber to be opened the water can be set in
constant circulation throughout by the valve being opened. We are enabled by
this arrangement of our improved valve to clear out all before it in the feed pipes
round the boiler and to blow everything out within the settling chamber C when
the sludge cocks or valves connected at E are opened, which we provide upon this
chamber.

page_text: .
When arranging our improvements for application to sea-going boilers as shown
at Figures 3 and 4 in which the feed water is mainly obtained from the condensers
and the water is consequently much impregnated with oil, grease and other fatty:
matters from the lubricators of the engine, we make our settling chamber L of
somewhat different form internally and we provide that its action shall be such that:
the inlet A 3 from the feed pumps enters a settling chamber near the top and the
outlet to the boiler is taken from near the bottom or lower end so that when the
feed water in its impure state mixed with oil or like matters enters the upper end!
of the settling chamber these impurities being of a much less specific gravity thaus
water will remain on the top surface the solids only sinking to the bottom to be-
withdrawn by the sludge cock attached to E while the impurities may be withdrawn.
by any blow off cock and valve M arranged at the top.
We provide a gauge glass N and ordinary indicating cocks upon our chamber to
record the condition of the water within the chamber so as to determine the blowing
off stage of the operation; we take our water from the feed pump pipe A first
round the boiler in the steam space prior to taking it to the settling chamber and
we may employ our improved valve shown at G or H as herein before described.
when arranging our improvements upon an ordinary land boiler.
We sometimes dispense with the special two way valve or cock and allow any
ordinary check or regulating single way valve to control the admission of water
to our pipe circuit within the steam space of the boiler and in Figures 5 and 6.
such an arrangement is shown. We allow the feed pipe circuit A to have a
branch piece upon it at a position within the boiler, and to this branch we attach
an open ended pipe P; or a pipe having a back pressure or other valve attached.
to its upper end. When the pipe circuit is to be scoured we close the outer valve
connected with the pipe supply and open the sludge or blow off valve or cock in.
the chamber thus permitting the steam to pass down the open pipe P and to clear
out the circuit pipe and the chamber through which it will travel on its way to the
blow off branch. It will be readily understood that in ordinary use the water will
not escape out of the open end of the branch pipe P as the steam will be acting-
against it.
We do not limit the application of our improvements to any particular form of
valve or arrangement of settling chamber or to any special type of boiler, but we-
modify the same to suit any special requirement, employing well known valves and.
cocks for controlling the water and for feeding the boiler. We make our feed.
pipe circuit to pass one or more times around the steam space of the boiler or we
may arrange a coil of pipes within the boiler when so desired.
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 improvements connected with heating and purifying feed water for
steam boilers substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as..
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a steam boiler the use and application of a circuit pipe for allowing the
feed water to pass through prior to entering a settling chamber or sediment.
depositing vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The construction and arrangement of a duplex port water valve for permitting.
the passage of the water through the independent ports, or through the valve-
opening from one port or passage to the other substantially as hereinbefore-
described and as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a steam boiler feed apparatus a sediment settling chamber or oil or foreign
matter collector such as C and L provided with pipe attachments and fittings.
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and as illustrated in.
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. In a feed water system or length of pipes for steam boilers the methods and
arrangements for providing that the steam can be made to scour out the water
pipes so as to dislodge any foreign-matter substantially as herein before described.
-Dated this 30th day of November 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.