IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ripley Joiner and Thomas Scholes Mechanic
both of Bolton in the County of Lancaster for an invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ripley and Thomas
Scholes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March
1882.
JAMES RIPLEY, Joiner, and THOMAS SCHOLES, Mechanic, both of Bolton in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WATER TO
STEAM BOILERS."
The object of this invention is to construct apparatus for Feeding the necessary
quantity of water to Steam Boilers at any desired level or at varying levels if
necessary.
Our invention consists in placing a back pressure valve on the feed pipe inside
the boiler, this valve is actuated by a lever working on a fulcrum, to one end of
which is attached a float, with a balance weight on the opposite end to counter-
balance the weight of the lever and float acting upon the back-pressure valve.
When the float is immersed about one third its depth in the water, the pressure
on the valve is about equal to the pressure on the ordinary escape valve
on the feed pipes outside the boiler, so that when the water in the boiler
falls by evaporation or otherwise, the pressure on the back-pressure valve is
decreased by the float dropping with the water, thus allowing the Feed Water to
flow into the boiler, until such times as a sufficient quantity has been supplied
when the float rises with it, and closes the valve thus stopping the feed, which then
passes away through the ordinary escape valve.
This invention is also designed for regulating the feed water to work at different
levels, to enable the boilers to be fed at night or any other time when required to
be left for a length of time. The rod which is attached to the float is provided

page_text: with a screw working through a swivel ball-joint, fixed in the end of the back-
pressure valve lever, the upper end of the float rod, which is above the ball-joint is
square, this passes through an opening in the top of the boiler into a suitable
chamber, the top being provided with a stuffing box, through which passes a spindle,
at the bottom end is a fork with a square hole which passes loosely over the float
rod. At the top end of this spindle is fixed a wheel or other equivalents, by which
the position of the float can be altered either up or down, without interfering with
the working of the valve lever, thus allowing the feed water to be worked at any
required level in the boiler, according to the position of the float.
The novelty of this invention consists in placing the valve inside the boiler, the
same working automatically, at the same time preventing it from being tampered
with when working, also that it allows of any particular boiler being operated upon
independently, when a set of boilers are working together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Ripley and Thomas Scholes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd September 1882.
JAMES RIPLEY, Joiner, and THOMAS SCHOLES, Mechanic, both of Bolton in the
County of Lancaster. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WATER TO
STEAM BOILERS,"
"
The object of this invention is to construct apparatus for feeding the necessary
quantity of water to Steam boilers at any desired level or at varying levels if
necessary.
Our invention consists in placing a back-pressure valve on the feed pipe
inside the boiler, this valve is actuated by a lever working on a fulcrum, to one
end of which is attached a float, with a balance weight on the opposite end to
counter-balance the weight of the lever and float acting upon the back-pressure
valve.
When the float is immersed about one-third its depth in the water, the pressure
on the valve is about equal to the pressure on the ordinary escape valve on
the feed pipes outside the boiler, so that when the water in the boiler falls by
evaporation or otherwise, the pressure on the back-pressure valve is decreased by
the float dropping with the water, thus allowing the feed water to flow into the
boiler, until such times as a sufficient quantity has been supplied when the float
rises with it, and closes the valve, thus stopping the feed, which then passes away:
through the ordinary escape valve.
This invention is also designed for regulating the feed water to work at different.
levels, to enable the boilers to be fed at night or any other time when required
to be left for a length of time. The rod which is attached to the float is
provided with a screw working through a swivel ball-joint, fixed in the end of
the back-pressure valve lever, the upper end of the float rod, which is above
the ball-joint is square, this passes through an opening in the top of the boiler
into a suitable chamber, the top being provided with a stuffing box, through
which passes a spindle, at the bottom end is a fork with a square hole which passes
loosely over the float rod. At the top end of this spindle is fixed a wheel or other
equivalents, by which the position of the float can be altered either up or down
without interfering with the working of the valve lever, thus allowing the feed
water to be worked at any required level in the boiler, according to the position of
the float.
In order that this our said Invention may be more readily seen and fully under-
stood so as to be carried into operation, we have hereunto annexed drawings,
illustrative of our improved self-acting feed water apparatus, reference being made
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of a boiler, with our improved feed water
apparatus applied. A is the Steam boiler in which B is the working water level,
C the Blues, D the ordinary feed valve placed at the front of the boiler, connecting
by the pipe E to the back-pressure valve F, or it may be coupled to an ordinary
feed valve in any other position, which is frequently found on the top of the boiler,
in such a case the pipe E will be vertical instead of horizontal as shewn. The
back-pressure valve F is placed inside the boiler, upon which is mounted the
lever G on the fulcrum H. The pipe I is connected to the outlet J on the feed or
back-pressure valve and extends downwards into the water to convey the feed.
water being supplied below the working water line. The valve is loose from the.
spindle K, thus enabling it to perform its function as a back-pressure valve, only

page_text: being lifted when forced by the action of the water and closing again when the
pressure is reduced below that in the boiler, without affecting the lever G and float L.
L is a stone or other suitable float suspended at one extremity of the lever G, and
resting or floating upon the surface of the water, and which is counter-balanced at
the other extremity of such lever by the weight M. The float L is screwed to the
rod N by means of the plates and nuts O and O¹ respectively.
When our invention is intended to be used only for the purpose of supplying feed
water, and is not required to be altered to raise the water level, the lever G and
rod N are made as shewn in Figs 2 A and 2 B.
In another arrangement of our invention it is designed for regulating the feed
water at different levels to enable the boiler to be fed at night or any other time,
when required to be left for any length of time. In this case the lever G is
provided with a fork and swivel joint as shewn in Fig. 2, and through which
passes the screwed rod N, its upper extremity being made square, and passes
upwards through the chamber or block P as shewn in Fig. 4, which is secured to
the boiler shell by bolts or rivets. On this block or chamber is fixed the hollow
pillar R provided with a gland and stuffing box, inside the pillar is provided with
the spindle and fork S, the bottom extremity being provided with a square hole to
fit the upper end of the rod N, as shewn in Fig. 3; so as to enable of its being
turned by the hand wheel T outside, thus when the water line is required to he
raised, say to B¹, it can be effected by turning the hand wheel and fork which
actuates the rod N, the latter being screwed into the swivel joint in end of the
lever G, the position of the float L being raised, as shewn in dotted lines, and as it
floats on the surface of the water, it lifts the spindle K from the top of the valve
as shewn in Fig. 1, and itself as shewn in Fig. 5; thus taking the pressure off the
valve, allowing it to be lifted by the water as it is forced by every stroke of the
feed pump, until such times as the water level is raised and the float rising with it,
actuates the lever G and spindle K, thus closing the valve and preventing any
further supply until such times as the water in the boiler falls by evaporation or
otherwise.
For the purpose of indicating or setting the float L to the height required, the
top extremity of the rod S is provided with the worm N' working into the worm
wheel and index plate N2, which revolves on the stationary pillar U and pin X,
the front side being marked, shewing the number of inches that the boiler can be
filled above the ordinary working level.
If desired the back-pressure valve F can be made equilibrium as shewn in Fig. 5,
which will be found very advantageous when working at a very high steam
pressure, thus enabling a reasonable length of lever and weight of float to be used.
It will also be seen on examining the drawings that Fig. 5 shews another
arrangement of coupling our improved back-pressure feed valves to the pipes
inside the boiler, which can be placed horizontal or vertical as shewn in dotted
lines at I. It will also be seen on looking at the same figure that when the
water line is raised to B¹, the float L and rod N are shewn in position in dotted
lines.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the pillar R shewing more clearly the worm wheel N²
and stand U for indicating the height of the float inside the boiler.
We would here remark that this apparatus is constructed to be self-acting and
to work independent of any change of pressure; that having no stuffing boxes
affecting the working of the valve, and all the parts enclosed within the boiler,
there is consequently no tendency to stick fast or to get out of order, and at
the same time provision is made for controlling the apparatus by hand from
outside.
The novelty of this invention consists in placing the valve inside the boiler,
the same working automatically, at the same time preventing it from being
tampered with when working, also that it allows of any particular boiler being
operated upon independently, when a set of boilers are working together.
Having thus particularly described the nature of this our Invention and described

page_text: the mode of performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details or configuration of the parts we have shewn
and described, as the same may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle of our invention, but what we Claim and desire to be secured to us by
Letters Patent is :-
First. The use and application of a back-pressure feed valve when placed inside
the boiler, in conjunction with the counterbalanced float, when mounted, controlled
and operating, substantially in the manner described and as shewn on the
drawings.
Second. The use of a back-pressure or equilibrium feed valve when placed inside
the boiler in conjunction with the counterbalanced float, when mounted, controlled
and operating, with the arrangements for varying the working level of the water
and indicating the height of same, substantially as described and as shewn on the
drawings.
In witness whereof we the said James Ripley and Thomas Scholes have
hereunto set our respective hands and seals this twenty-fourth day of
August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty
JAMES RIPLEY.
(L.S.)
THOMAS SCHOLES (L.S.)