AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FEEDING OR SUPPLYING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles James Wiggs, of 32, Chester Street, Ken-
nington, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR FEEDING OR SUPPLYING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER."
led the 24th July 1857, and dated the 24th January 1857
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Wiggs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th January 1857.
I, CHARLES JAMES Wicas, of 32, Chester Street, Kennington, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FEEDING OR SUPPLYING STEAM BOILERS WITH
WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining with the ordinary water float em-
ployed for ascertaining the height of the water in steam boilers certain self-
actingmechanism,constitutingapparatus for feedingorsupplyingsteam boilers
with water without the aid of a force-pump for that purpose, as heretofore
commonly practised, this Invention being designed for supplying steam
boilers with water against any pressure' therein in a more simple, efficient,
and less expensive manner than by the methods hitherto practised. The
following construction of apparatus I have found answer well for effecting the
objects of this Invention, that is to say:-Toone end of the bean or lever of an
ordinary water float I connect two taps, each leading to and communicating
with the steam boiler, and a closed tank placed above the same; one of the
aforesaid taps and its respective pipe allows steam to pass from the boilerinto
the upper part of the said tank, and the other tap and its pipe allows water to
pass from the said tank into the boiler to supply it therewith as the water
therein becomes converted into steam. The aforesaid tank is also furnished
[Prine Rd]

page_text: with other cocks and pipes,some of which communicate with the steam boiler
and others with another reservoir containing water. The before-mentioned
tank is also furnished with two floats, one of which is employed for actuating
the last-mentioned taps, and the other float operates upon certain mechanism
connected with the former float, so as to allow it to act upon its respective taps
at certain times, as follows:-Suppose the water in the boiler to be below its
proper level, the ordinary water float descending there with will open the cocks
connected thereto, and thus allow the steam from the boiler to enter the
before-mentioned closed water tank,and assist in discharging water therefrom
into the boiler, until the float rises and shuts off the aforesaid cocks. The
action of the floats in the closed water tank is as follows:-Suppose this tank
to contain the desired quantity of water, and one float to be held down at the
bottom of the tank,as the level of the water descends to supply the boiler, as
before stated, and when the tank is nearly empty, the descent of one float
will disengage the other float, and allow it to rise and open a communication
with a refrigerator for the escape of steam from the aforesaid tank, and simul.
taneously to open a cock, by which water will be supplied from a reservoir to
the closed water tank, and so on, each time the water in the supply tank is
discharged therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles James Wiggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JAMES WIGGS, of 32, Chester Street, Kennington, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles James Wiggs, Her special license that I, the said Charles James
Wiggs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles James Wiggs, 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 "AN

page_text: IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FEEDING OR SUPPLYING STEAM BOILERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles James Wiggs, my execu-
tors 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 James Wiggs, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention consists in combining with the ordinary water float employed
for ascertaining the height of the water in steam boilers certain self-acting
mechanism, constituting improved apparatus for feeding or supplying steam
boilers with water without the aid of a force pump for that purpose,as hereto-
fore commonly practised, ny Invention being designed for supplying steam
boilers with water against any pressure therein in a more simple, efficient,
and less expensive manner than by the methods hitherto practised. The
following construction of apparatus I have found answer well in practice for
effecting the objects of my said Invention, that is to say:-To one end of the
beam or lever of an ordinary water float I connect two taps, each leading to
and communicating with the steam boiler, and a closed tank placed above the
same; one of the aforesaid taps and its respective pipe allows steam to pass
from the boiler into the upper part of the said tank, and the other tap and its
pipe allows water to pass from the said tank into the boiler to supply it there-
with as the water therein becomes converted into steam. The aforesaid tank
is connected with a reservoir containing water; said tank is also furnished
with two floats, employed for actuating certain mechanism for opening and
closing cocks or taps.for the admission of steam into the tank, or the emission
of water therefrom into the boiler, as follows:-Suppose the water in the
boiler to be below its proper level, the water float descending with the water
will open the cocks connected thereto, and thus allow the steam from the
boiler to enter the before-mentioned closed water tank for beating the water
therein. The action of the floats in the closed water tank is as follows:-
Suppose one float to be held down as the level of the water descends to supply
the boiler, and when the tank is nearly empty, the descent of the other float
will disengage the first float and allow it to rise, thereby shutting off the cocks
leading from the tank to the boiler, thus allowing the tank to be filled with
water, and the floats raised until the before-mentioned cocks are again opened

page_text: to the boiler, as before stated, and so on, each time the aforesaid closed tank
is emptied of water.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible,I now pro-
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a steam boiler,shewing my
improved feeding apparatus adapted thereto; Figure 2 a transverse and vertical,
section through the line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 3 detached parts, herein-
after particularly described and referred to.
At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to
denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at
each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, is an ordinary steam boiler; B, the water float; C, C, links, extending
therefrom to cocks D, E, respectively attached to the feed pipe G and steam
pipe H; I, K, are other cocks, connected by links a, a, and a rod b, as at
Figure 3, to the lever of the float L, placed in the closed water tank M.
This tank may be of cast iron or other suitable material. N is another float,
the axis of the lever whereof is employed for drawing back the bolts c and d
for unlocking them from the sliding piece e of the float L, as hereafter stated.
The details of this arrangement will be better understood by reference to
Figure 3, drawn to an enlarged scale.
MODE OF OPERATING.
Suppose the boiler A to be sufficiently full of water, and the float B and
parts connected therewith to be in the position exhibited, so as to press down
the levers 1, and thereby partially or entirely shut off the cocks D and E;
suppose also the tank M to be nearly filled with water from the reservoir O;
the effect of the rising of the float N during the entrance of the water will be
to pull back the bolt d which previously held the float L down,and thus allow
it to rise, thereby depressing the other end of the lever 2 of the float and
opening the cocks I and K (which were previously kept closed during the
filling of the tank), thus admitting steam from the boiler by the cock D and
pipe 3 into the tank M for heating the water therein, the pressure of the steam
also closing the valve 4 in the reservoir O.
I would here remark that instead of using the reservoir O the same effect
may be produced by carrying the pipe g into a well, the vacuum produced in

page_text: said pipe by the steam from the boiler causing the water to rise up the same.
When this arrangement is used, the valve 4, before mentioned, must also be
employed, and may be placed in or connected to any convenient part of the
suction pipe. The cock D allows the water in the tank when heated to pass
into the boiler, the water continuing to flow from the tank into the boiler until
the float B rises sufficiently high to shut off the cocks D and E. The pressure
of the steam being now removed from the valve 4, the water will flow from
the reservoir into the tank and raise the floats, as before stated. ff, are
springs for drawing forward the bolts c and d when the pressure of the pins 5
in the slots 6 of the bolts c and d has been moved by the ascent of the float.
The float L is held down when the tank is empty by the bolt cresting upon
the ledge 7 of the piece e, and the float L is held up by the bolt d coming
under the ledge 8, and the purpose of thus holding the aforesaid float in these
positions during the filling and emptying of said tank is to open and close the
cocks I and K suddenly.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention of
"An Improved Apparatus for Feeding or Supplying Boilers with Water,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I am aware of apparatus
having heretofore been employed in which steam was admitted from the boiler
into a tank containing cold water for heating the same, and the water thus
heated was allowed to pass from said tank into the boiler,cocks being employed
for that purpose which were actuated by hand; I do not, therefore, claim as
my Invention an apparatus for the above purpose,except when the same is so
constructedastobe self-acting, as above particularlydescribed, andrepresented
by the Drawing hereunto annexed; and I hereby declare my Invention to
consist in, and I claim, a self-acting apparatus of the above construction, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Wiggs, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Agent, for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.
AMES