Improvements in and relating to Feed Water Heating Apparatus for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Feed Water Heating Apparatus for
Steam Boilers.
I, JOHN GILMOUR, of 64 St. James Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction or
arrangement and combination of the parts of a feed water heating apparatus for
marine or other steam boilers, such as that described in the Specification of my
former Patent No. 3957 March 14 1888, but modified in construction and so that it
is self contained or portable and may be placed at any level or position outside the
boiler, such as at a low level in connection with the feed pump, or at a higher level
than the water in the boiler, and be more simple and efficient than the feed heating
appliances heretofore in use.
Under one arrangement suitable for heating and supplying the feed water to
main boilers of marine engines, the improved feed water heater would be fitted on
the bulkhead of engine room at any desired level, and would consist of a vertical
cylindrical outer vessel with a central longitudinal tube extending down about half
its length for the steam which would enter by an inlet branch at top, and an annular
larger tube about the same length for the inlet feed water which would also enter
by a branch near the top, and pass down the annular tube round the steam heating
tube and mix and spray with the steam at the lower ends of the tubes, these lower
ends being secured by transverse stay bolts. The feed water is led by a pipe from
the hot well or air pump to the feed pumps of the main engines or other feed
supply apparatus, and then pumped through a main feed pipe and a vertical pipe
from same preferably fitted with an air vessel on top, to the inlet branch of the new
feed heater; and the live steam would be led by a pipe fitted with a cock from
main boiler to be fed and delivered to the inlet steam branch at the upper end of
feed heater.
The feed water after mixing with and being heated by the live steam in the feed
heater, is raised in temperature to nearly that of the steam in boiler and when
placed above the level of boiler feeds through an outlet branch near its lower end
and main pipe direct into boiler by gravitation as the upper part is in direct com-
munication with the steam space of boiler, and the feed is preferably delivered
through a tube to a horizontal perforated distributing pipe placed inside the boiler
near its bottom from whence it would ascend to the surface and ensure perfect
circulation throughout and make all parts of the boiler shell and its fittings to
expand equally. A perfect automatic feed is thus established by gravitation
between the feed heater and boiler without a feed pump. When this feed heater is
placed below the level of the boiler its discharge branch would be connected with
a feed pump to force the water into boiler. The feed pump delivering the heated
feed water into boiler would preferably be about one and a half times the capacity
of the pump which delivered the inlet feed water to the heater, and be double
acting having the boiler pressure on both sides of its plunger bucket so as to work
in an equilibrium manner. This pump, which requires very little driving power,
may be driven by the exhaust steam from the first smaller pumping engine, or
otherwise; and both pumps would be controlled by a float in the hot well or in the
feed heater. Regulating or shut-off cocks or check valves may be fitted on the
branch pipes leading the feed water to and from the improved feed water heater,
to main feed pipe and the main feed pipe may be connected by a cock or valve
between these branch pipes so that the feed from hot well or air pump can either
pass by the branch pipe into feed heater, or by shutting off the inlet cock on this

page_text: branch and the cock on the outlet branch from the feed heater and opening the
intermediate cock between these on main feed pipe, the feed can be taken direct to
boiler without passing through the feed heater. The lower part of the vertical
steam heating tube admitting the live steam to the middle of the feed heater would
be formed with a series of slits or apertures or a "rose" pipe for the feed water in
the outer annular tube to pass through and combine with it, or the water may pass
in through a valve or spraying nozzle to be heated by the live steam. The inlet
feed water and live steam branches may be formed on opposite sides of one casting
fitted on the upper end of feed heating chamber, and this casting would have a
removable cover on top fitted with a pressure gauge.
An air escape valve would
be fitted at the upper part of feed heater to allow all air or gases to escape from
feed water at the upper end of heater and be led back by a pipe to hot well, while
any steam that may escape with the air is condensed and returned back to feed
pump. A removable hand door would be fitted on the lower end of feed heater for
periodically cleaning it out of all impurities precipitated from the feed water in this
lower trapping chamber, and it would also have a blow-off cock fitted here. And
the outlet feed water branch of heater may be fitted with a glass water level
indicating gauge, and pressure safety valve. The improved feed water heater may
be fitted in the engine room or the stokehole or formed in either of the feed pumps,
or erected at other convenient part, when placed on board ship.
Dated the 9th December 1890.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Feed Water Heating Apparatus for
Steam Boilers.
I, JOHN GILMOUR, of 64 St. James Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, that is to say :-
My invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction
or arrangement and combination of the parts of a feed water heating apparatus for
marine or other steam boilers such as that described in the Specification of my
former Patent No. 3957 March 14 1888, but modified in construction, and so that it
is self contained or portable and may be placed at any level or position outside the
boiler, such as at a low level in connection with the feed pumps, or at a higher level
than the water in the boiler, and be more simple and efficient than the feed heating
appliances heretofore in use.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing my new or improved construction of feed
water heater.
Figure 2, is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is an external elevation of my improved heater, showing broken away
the arrangement of the water and steam pipes and valves and connecting fittings.
Referring to these drawings.-Under one arrangement suitable for heating and
supplying the feed water to the main boilers of marine engines, the improved feed
water heater A, would be fitted on the bulkhead of engine room at any desired
level, and consists of a vertical cylindrical vessel A with boxed in outer wood
part A' and with a central longitudinal tube a extending down about one third or
half its length for the steam which would enter by an inlet branch a' at top, and an

page_text: annular larger tube b about the same length for the inlet feed water which would
also enter by a branch b' near the top, and pass down the annular tube b round the
steam heating tube a which it would enter through the holes or slits a¹¹ and mix
and spray with the steam at the lower end of the tube a and pass into the large
outer tube or vessel A. The feed water is led by a pipe from the hot well or air
pump to the feed pumps of the main engines or other feed supply apparatus, and
then pumped through a main feed pipe C and a vertical pipe B fitted with a cock
or valve B¹ from same preferably having an air vessel B₁ screwed or attached at
top, leading into the inlet branch of the new feed heater; and the live steam is
led by a pipe a fitted with a cock or valve a³ from main boiler to be fed and
delivered to the inlet steam branch a' at the upper end of feed heater A.
The feed water after mixing at a" with and being heated by the live steam in
the feed heater A, is raised in temperature to nearly that of the steam in boiler,
and when placed above the level of boiler the heated water passes to a lower
trapping chamber A." from whence it feeds through an outlet branch A' near its
lower end and main pipe A³ fitted with a cock or valve A direct into boiler by
gravitation through the pipe C₁ all as indicated by the arrows, as the upper
part a a' is in direct communication with the steam space of the boiler, and the feed
from the pipe C' is preferably delivered through a tube to a horizontal perforated
distributing pipe placed inside the boiler near its bottom as described in the
Specification of the said former Patent No. 3957 March 14 1888 from whence it
would ascend to the surface and ensure perfect circulation throughout and make all
parts of the boiler shell and its fittings to expand equally. A perfect automatic
feed is thus established by gravitation between the feed heater A and boiler
without a feed pump.
When this feed heater A is placed below the level of the
water in the boiler its discharge branch A2 or connecting pipes A³, C¹, would be
connected with a feed pump to force the water into boiler. In this case the feed
pump delivering the heated feed water into boiler would preferably be about one
and a half times the capacity of the pump which delivered the inlet feed water
through the pipes C, B, to the heater A, and be double acting having the boiler
pressure on both sides of its plunger bucket so as to work in an equilibrium manner.
This pump which requires very little driving power, may be driven by the exhaust
steam from the first smaller pumping engine, or otherwise; and both pumps would
be controlled by a float in the hot-well or in the feed heater A. Regulating or shut-
off cocks or check valves B', A, would preferably be fitted on the branch
pipes B, A³, leading the feed water to and from the improved feed water heater A
to main feed pipe CC¹ and the main feed pipe C C¹ would or may be connected by
a cock or valve C³ between these branch pipes B, A³, so that the feed from hot-
well or air pump can either pass by the branch pipe B' into feed heater A or by
shutting off the inlet cock B₁ on this branch B and the cock A* on the outlet
branch A³ from the feed heater A. and opening the intermediate cock C between
these on the main feed pipe C C¹, the feed can be taken direct to boiler without
passing through the feed heater A. The lower part of the vertical steam heating
tube a, admitting the live steam to the upper part of the feed heater A would be
formed with a series of slits or apertures or a "rose" pipe as shown at all for the
feed water in the outer annular tube b to pass through and combine with it, or the
water may pass in through a valve or spraying nozzle to be heated by the live
steam. The inlet feed water and live steam branches b' a' may be formed on
opposite sides of one casting fitted on the upper end of feed heating chamber A, as
shown in drawings and this casting would have a removable cover D on top fitted
with a steam pressure gauge D¹. An air escape valve D2 would be fitted at the
upper part of feed heater A to allow all air or gases to escape from feed water at
the upper end of heater and be led back by a pipe to hot well, while any steam
that may escape with the air is condensed and returned back to feed pump. A
removable hand door A would be fitted on the lower end of feed heater for
periodically cleaning it out of all impurities precipitated from the feed water in
this lower trapping chamber A", and it would also have a blow-off cock A' fitted

page_text: here. And the outlet feed water branch A' of heater A may be fitted with a glass
water level indicating gauge, and a pressure safety valve D with escape branch D³
leading by a pipe to the bilges of the vessel. The improved feed water heater A
when placed on board ship may be fitted in the engine room or the stokehole, or
other convenient part, or formed in either of the feed pumps, in which case one, two,
or three feed pumps may be used with chambers formed as heaters in casting of
pump.
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
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts and
connecting pipes, valves and fittings of a feed water heating apparatus for steam
boilers, placed either above the water level in boiler to feed automatically or below
said level by the action of a feed pump or pumps, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The fitting or placing of feed-water heating apparatus for steam boilers
above the level of the water in boiler, so that the discharge feed from heater to
boiler takes place automatically by gravitation, substantially as herein described, in
reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. The fitting or placing of feed water heating apparatus for steam boilers
below the level of water in boiler, so that the discharge water from heater is drawn
or fed to boiler by the action of a feed pump or pumps, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The constructing of feed water heating apparatus for steam boilers
with inlet water and steam mixing tubes and large combining vessel with lower trap
chamber and discharge feed outlet for feeding the water to the boiler, substantially
as described in reference to Claims 2 and 3, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 18th August 1891
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents..