Improvements in and relating to Boiler Cleaners or Skimmer-cups for Removing the Scum from the Surface of Water Contained in Boilers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Boiler Cleaners or Skimmer-cups
for Removing the Scum from the Surface of Water Contained in
Boilers.
I, CULBERSON SPANGLER GARRIGUS, a citizen of the United States, residing
at No. 110 Rebecca Street, Allegheny, in the County of Allegheny, State of
Pennsylvania, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
boiler cleaners or skimmer-cups for removing the scum from the surface of water
contained in boilers to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in boiler
cleaners, having reference to that class which gather the scum from the surface of
the water in the boiler and from which it is conveyed to a precipitator and the
water returned to the boiler after it is freed from the collected scum.
In boiler cleaners as heretofore constructed it has always been necessary to
preserve the water line in the boiler at a fixed or established point at which it must
be maintained in order to produce the proper or desired results. In many instances
it has been found difficult to attain the results desired as it is impossible to always
keep the water at the same or proper level.
The object of my invention is to overcome the objections above noted, and
provide a boiler cleaner which will effectively carry off the scum on the water in
the boiler at any and all variations which may occur in the height thereof.
A further object is to provide for directing the flow or passage of the scum
on the surface of the water to the skimmer. These objects I attain by so
mounting the skimmer-cup within the boiler that it will always be located at the
water surface, a vertical slot in said cup allowing the passage of the scum
thereinto. To the lower end of one side of this cup opposite to the slot therein is
connected a branch of the outlet pipe. A float is attached to one end of a
swinging member of the outlet pipe so that the position of the cup is regulated to
conform to the height of the water in the boiler at any and all variations therein.
The skimmer-cup is located at the vertex of a V-shape guide with its slot facing
said vertex, said guide being composed of two divergent adjustable skimming
wings secured at their inner convergent ends. The outer or divergent ends of
these wings extend to the sides of the boiler and serve to direct the flow
or passage of the scum to the skimmer-cup. The guide-wings are capable of
adjustment and are of such width that they will always extend below and above
the water-line. The convergent end of this guide is located near that end of the
boiler farthest from the fire-box, and in rear of said convergent end the float is
designed to be located. Thus the float is in comparatively pure water and the
accumulation of sediment thereon which would serve to weight it down is
successfully avoided.
The invention comprises the novel features of construction and also the detail
combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth
and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing :-
-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a boiler showing
my improved cleaner, parts thereof being in section and others in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the cleaner and its adjuncts removed from the boiler.
Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of the skimming guide.

page_text: Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a portion of the boiler, the
cleaner being shown in end elevation.
Figure 5 is a sectional detail view.
Referring to the drawing, A designates a portion of a shell of a steam boiler;
a the water line therein; and a' the steam space.
B is a standard or support perpendicularly located within the boiler, the same
being connected by a T-coupling 6 to a threaded pipe section 6' screwed into a
hole in the top of the boiler shell. To this pipe section is designed to be connected
a pipe (not shown) leading to a precipitator, also not shown. The standard or
support B is preferably made of a tube closed at its lower end. From the
T-coupling extends a horizontal pipe having at its other end a downward
branch 63 which is connected by a lower right-angular branch b to a horizontal
swinging or movable pipe C. This pipe C is connected to said lower horizontal
branch by a union or swinging joint 6, which is locked slack so that one portion
of said branch 6 is capable of a swivelling or hinged motion with reference to the
other portion.
Dis the skimmer-cup which is normally perpendicular and is open at its top and
provided at that side farthest from the fire with a vertical slot d which extends
from the top to near the bottom of the cup. This cup is connected by a per-
pendicular pipe d¹ to the outer end of the swinging pipe C, a suitable coupling
uniting said pipe to the cup. The pipe d' opens into the cup on a line with
the bottom thereof opposite to the vertical slot. By extending the vertical slot in
the perpendicular skimmer-cup to within a short distance of the bottom thereof
and connecting the outlet pipe to the opposite side of said cup on a line with
said bottom, the fall of the scum through said slot to the bottom of the cup aids
in the draught or circulation through said outlet pipe. From the closed end of
pipe C extends a rod or prolongation 2 (or it may be a closed tube) to the lower
or rear end of which is secured a float E, the same being supported by the water
in the boiler. A lever e is fulerumed at e¹ on the standard or support B and upon
its outer end is an adjustable weight e, while its forward end is connected by a
link e to the closed end of swinging pipe C. This weight on the lever serves to
counterbalance the weight of the parts suspended by link e³. In this way the float
has to contend with but little unbalanced weight. The vertical position of the
float with reference to the skimming cup is such that when the float assumes its
normal floating position on the water the cup will be at the most efficient skimming
level, that is the bottom of the inlet slot is a short distance below the water level.
Thus it will be seen that the position of the float controls and carries the skimmer-
cup, the position of which is regulated by the float at any and all variations in the
height of the water. The position of the skimmer-cup is thus automatically
regulated and no shortening or lengthening of the depending supporting standard
is necessary.
set
F is a guide for directing the flow or passage of the scum to the skimmer-cup.
It comprises two divergent wings f and a hinge-casting f which latter is vertically
adjustable on the standard or support B and can be firmly held by a set-screw f².
The inner convergent ends of the wings are hinged to this casting f',
screws in the latter forming hinge pivots for said wings and also means for
tightening the hinges and securing the wings to the desired angular position. The
outer, forward ends of these wings extend to the sides of the boiler and together
they form a V-shape guide at the vertex of which is the skimmer-cup, its inlet
slot being towards the extreme rear end of the guide. In this way the flow or
passage of the scum is directed towards the slot in the cup and hence the skimming
is very effectively and quickly accomplished. The wings are of such width that a
portion thereof is always extended through the water line, the position of the
wings being first regulated by the adjustment of the hinge casting on the standard
or support. It will be observed that the float is located behind the vertex or con-
vergent end of the guide and hence is in contact with comparatively clean water.
In consequence there is no likelihood of sediment accumulating on the float and

page_text: serving to weigh the latter down, but the float will always keep the skimmer-cup in
such position as to maintain the slot thereof so that it will intersect the water line
in the boiler and draw the scum at any level of water, and allow of the variation
of several inches iu the depth of the latter.
From what has been said the operation and advantages of my invention are manifest.
As is well known, in the ordinary course of circulation of the water within the boiler
the impurities rise to the top of the water and move rearwardly at the surface thereof.
By my improvements the scum is intercepted by the divergent guide wings and is
gradually accumulated in the vertex of the V-guide, from whence it passes into the
skimming cup through the slot thereof, and thence through the series of pipes out
through the pipe-section 6' on to the precipitator. The skimmer-cup is free to rise
and fall according to the height of the water in the boiler, the float serving to move
the swinging pipe C on its union or swinging joint, the movement of the float being
according to the variations in the water-level. A boiler cleaner constructed as
herein-described is extremely simple, and by means thereof highly satisfactory
results are attained. It will be observed that the guide-wings being separable
from their hinge-casting can be easily inserted into, or removed from, the boiler
and can be readily adjusted according to the size of the latter so that their outer
ends will be against the sides of the boiler.
As, for
It will be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details of construction
shown and described since experience has demonstrated that changes may be made
therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.
instance, any preferred form of flexible coupling for the swinging member of the
outlet pipe may be used, and said pipe may be so arranged as to be connected
direct to the cup without the depending portion. Then again the hinge-section for
the divergent wings may be differently constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A boiler cleaner having an approximately perpendicularly disposed skimmer-
cup open at its top and provided with a vertical slot at one side extending to near
the bottom of said cup, an outlet pipe opening into the side of said cup on a line
with the bottom thereof, and a guide extending beyond the slot in said cup,
substantially as set forth.
2. A boiler cleaner having an approximately perpendicularly disposed skimmer-
cup open at its top and provided with a vertical slot in one side extending to near
the bottom of said cup, an outlet pipe opening into the side of said cup on a line
with the bottom thereof, a guide extending beyond the slot in said cup, and a float
connected to said outlet-pipe for normally keeping said slot in said cup on a line
intersecting the water in the boiler, said float being located in rear of said guide,
substantially as set forth.
3. A boiler cleaner having an approximately perpendicularly disposed skimmer-
cup open at its top and provided with a vertical slot in one side extending to near
the bottom of said cup, a series of outlet pipes having a movable or swinging
member which opens into the side of said cup opposite said slot on a line with the
bottom of the latter, and a float connected to said movable member for normally
keeping the said slot in said cup on a line intersecting the water line in the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
4. A boiler cleaner having an approximately perpendicularly disposed skimmer-
cup open at its top and provided with a vertical slot in one side extending to near
the bottom of said cup, a depending standard, an outlet pipe having a swinging
member opening into one side of said cup on a line with the bottom thereof, a Hoat
connected to said swinging member, and a weighted lever fulcrumed on said
standard and connected to said latter member, substantially as set forth.
5. In a boiler cleaner, an approximately perpendicularly disposed skimmer-cup
having a slot in its rear side, an outlet pipe opening into said cup on a line with

page_text: its bottom, V-shaped guide having wings extended from the sides of the boiler to
and beyond said slot in said cup, said slot facing the inner ends of said guide-wings,
and a float in the rear of said inner ends of said guide-wings connected to said
outlet pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a boiler cleaner, a skimmer-cup open at its top and having a vertical slot
therein, means for automatically regulating the position of said cup according to
the height of the water in the boiler, the V-shape guide having divergent wings,
said cup being at the vertex of said guide with the slot facing the latter, and
means for adjusting said guide, substantially as set forth.
7. A. boiler cleaner comprising a standard or support located within the boiler
shell near that end thereof farthest from the fire, an approximately perpendicularly
disposed skimmer-cup having a vertical slot therein, a V-shape guide adjustably
supported on said standard, said cup being located at or near the vertex of said
guide, the series of outlet pipes having a swinging member connected to said cup, a
float also connected to said swinging member and designed to be located beyond the
vertex of said guide and between the latter and the adjacent end of the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
8. A boiler cleaner, comprising a skimmer-cup supported within the boiler at
the water surface and having pipe communication leading outside of the boiler, a
vertical standard supported within the boiler by the shell thereof, a hinge-piece
supported by said standard and a pair of adjustable skimming-wings having their
inner ends hinged to said hinge-piece and having their outer ends converging and
extended to the sides of the shell, substantially as set forth.
9. A boiler cleaner, comprising a skimmer supported within the boiler at the
surface of the water and having pipe communication leading to outside the boiler, a
vertical standard rigidly supported within the boiler by the shell thereof, a hinge-
piece secured to said standard and vertically adjustable thereon, and a pair of
converging skimmer-wings having their convergent ends pivoted to said hinge-piece
and means for binding and holding said hinged ends of said wings, substantially as
set forth.
10. A boiler cleaner comprising a vertical standard rigidly supported within the
boiler by the shell thereof, a hinge-piece secured to said standard and vertically
adjustable thereon, converging skimmer-wings having their convergent ends pivoted
to said hinge-piece, a slotted skimmer-cup disposed within the vertex of the angle
formed by said skimmer-wings and presenting its slot toward said vertex, and a
series of pipes connected to the lower portion of said skimmer-cup and extending
outwardly through the wall of the boiler, substantially as set forth.
11. The herein-described improved boiler cleaner, comprising a vertical standard
rigidly supported within the boiler by the shell thereof, a pipe leading from within
the boiler to the outside thereof, a swinging horizontal pipe connected with said
pipe, a slotted skimmer cup supported by and in communication with the free end
of said swinging-pipe in a position near said vertical standard, a float connected
with the free end of said swinging-pipe, a lever pivoted upon said standard and having
one end connected with said swinging pipe, a weight adjustably secured on the
other end of said lever, and converging skimmer-wings having their inner ends
supported by said standard exterior to and near said skimming cup, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of ... 1905
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.