Improvements in Apparatus for Returning Water of Condensation to Boilers, also for Raising and Forcing Water Generally.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1892
Complete Specification. Left, 13th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Returning Water of Condensation
to Boilers, also for Raising and Forcing Water Generally.
I, FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE of 55 Queen's Road, Reading in the County
of Berks, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
•
My invention relates to apparatus for automatically feeding boilers, and returning
water of condensation to boilers.
According to the said invention a vessel is provided in which the condensed
water accumulates the said vessel being closed at the top by a cover. Attached
to the said cover is a fulcrum on which is mounted horizontally a rocking lever
the said lever having at one end an adjustable counter-balance weight and suspended
from the other end a metalic rod with two solid annular pieces of material which
I will term floats, one of the said floats being attached to the upper end and the
other float being attached to the lower end of the said metalic rod.
The position of the counter-balance weight is so arranged as to be above the
water level when both floats are immersed in the water.
Buckets to contain water can be used for floats instead of the pieces of solid
material as above described.
The horizontal rocking lever is constructed in the form of a channel to receive
a metalic ball or sphere and as the horizontal lever rocks on its fulcrum the metalic
ball rolls by gravity from one side of the lever to the other.
In the top end of the vessel are two valves, one for the admission of steam from
the boiler into the vessel and the other for exhausting the steam from the said
vessel. These valves are operated by the metalic float rod in such a manner that
when the end of the rocking lever to which the floats are attached is at its lowest
working point the steam valve will be shut and the exhaust valve will be open,
and when the said rocking lever is in a horizontal position both valves will be
shut, and when the said end of the rocking lever is at its highest working point
the exhaust valve will be shut and the steam valve will be open.
Water is admitted into the vessel by means of an inlet pipe connected to the top
and the water is allowed to flow out by means of an outlet pipe connected to the
bottom of the said vessel both pipes being provided with a back-pressure valve.
The action of this combination is as follows.
Water flows through the inlet pipe and back-pressure valve into the vessel.
When the water has risen sufficiently to cover the bottom float so that one float
is suspended in water and the other float out of water the said floats together
with the rod to which they are attached are in equilibrium with the counter-
balance weight.
The water continues to rise in the vessel and immerses the upper or top float.
The floats connected to the metalic rod having a less downward pressure than the
counter-balance weight will then rise and in so doing will close the exhaust
valve.
The rocking lever together with its aforesaid channel will then be horizontal but
the floats continuing to rise with the water the channelled lever will be inclined
downwards to the counterbalance weight and over to the said weight the metalic
ball will roll by gravitation.
By this action the weight of the ball is taken from the side of the lever to-
which the floats are suspended and given to the opposite side and this causes the
floats to rise and onen the steam valve instantly. The water will then flow through

page_text: the outlet pipe and back-pressure valve into the boiler but no other action will take
place until the water reaches the bottom float, when both floats being out of water
they will have a greater downward pressure than the ball and balance weight and
will sink down closing the steam valve. The channelled lever at this stage will
again be level but the floats continuing (with the water) to decend, the said lever
will be inclined downwards to the end to which the floats are attached and over to
this side the aforesaid metalic ball will roll by gravitation.
For the reason above described this will cause the floats to sink rapidly and at
once open the exhaust valve when the same action again takes place as already
described.
Although I have only described this invention as being used for feeding boilers,
it will be understood that it can be employed for forcing water or raising water to
any height subject to the pressure of steam used.
I wish it to be understood that the construction of the apparatus above described
may be somewhat modified without departing from the nature of my invention.
Dated this 24th day of June 1892.
FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Returning Water of Condensation to
Boilers, also for Raising and Forcing Water Generally.
1, FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE of 55 Queens Road, Reading in the County
of Berks, Mechanical Engineer 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically feeding
boilers and returning water of condensation to boilers.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention consists of a vessel in which
the condensed water accumulates, the said vessel having an ingress-pipe with a back-
pressure valve opening inwards, through which the said water is admitted, and an
egress-pipe with a back-pressure valve opening outwards, through which it is
discharged.
Attached to the outside of the vessel is a fulcrum, on which is mounted horizon-
tally a rocking lever, the said lever having at one end an adjustable counter-balance.
weight, and connected to the other end a metalic rod with two pieces of material
which will term floats, one of the said floats being attached to the upper end and
the other float being attached to the lower end of the said rod.
Buckets to contain water can be used for floats instead of the pieces of solid
inaterial, where it is found more convénient.
The rocking lever is constructed in the form of a channel to receive a metalic
ball or sphere and as the channelled lever rocks on its fulcrum the ball rolls by
gravity from one end of the lever to the other. At the top of the vessel is a steam
chamber connected by a pipe to the steam boiler and containing a slide valve which
is connected to and operated by the aforesaid floats. This slide valve controls the
admission to and exhaust of steam from the said vessel.
The construction and action of my invention will be fully described by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 is a side sectional view, and Figure 3 is a
front sectional view of one arrangement; and Figures 4, 5 and 6 are corresponding
views and Figure 7 is a plan of a modified arrangement.
I have marked the parts which correspond in the different arrangements with the
same letters of reference in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3-
A is the vessel to which is attached the fulcrum pin B carrying the rocking

page_text: lever C connected at one end by the two levers D and E and rocking shaft F to
the metalic rod G the other end of the said lever C being provided with the
counterbalance weight H.
As before mentioned the lever C is constructed in the form of a channel con-
Laining a ball or sphere C, which rolls by gravity from one end of the said channel
to the other as the said lever oscillates or rocks. The shaft F passes through the
gland and stuffing box V and communicates the motion of the lever D outside, to
the lever E inside the vessel.
The metalic rod G carries two floats, one 1 being connected to the upper end
and the other float J connected to the lower end of the said metalic rod. On the
iop of the vessel is a steam chamber K, connected to the boiler by, a pipe,
and containing a slide valve L which controls the admission of steam to, and
exhaust of steam from the said vessel A. The said slide valve is operated by
the crank M fixed to the end of the spindle N. The said spindle passes out of the
steain chamber through the gland O in which it oscillates, and is connected to the
rocking shaft by the two levers P and R and connecting rod S. The rod S is
provided with an adjusting mut S, for the purpose of regulating the position of the
slide valve L.
T is the inlet pipe with a backpressure valve T₁, and U is the outlet, pipe with
a backpressure valve U.
The action of the apparatus is as follows-
The apparatus is shown in Figure 3 in the position it takes when the exhaust
port K, is open to the atmosphere and the water is flowing through the inlet pipe T
into the vessel A. When the water has risen sufficient to cover the bottom float .J
so that it is submerged, and the top float 1 is above the level of the water, the two
said floats together with the rolling sphere C, are in equilibrium with the counter-
balance weight H, and no action takes place until the water, continuing to rise in
the vessel, immerses the top float I.
Then the two floats I and J together with the rolling sphere C₂, having a less
downward pressure than the counter-balance weight H, will gradually rise until the
rocking lever Cassumes an horizontal position, but up to this point without moving
the slide valve L, as sufficient space is left for the crank M to play between the
two lugs X and Y for this purpose. The floats, continuing to rise with the water,
will cause the channelled lever C to be inclined down to the balance weight H and
over to the said weight the sphere C, will roll by gravitation. By this action
the weight of the said sphere is taken from the side of the lever C to which the
Hoats are suspended and given to the opposite side. This causes the floats to rise
suddenly and the slide valve to move over so that it closes the exhaust port K, and
opens the steam port K, allowing the steam to pass into the vessel A.
The water will now flow out by the outlet pipe U into the boiler but no other
action will take place until the level of the water reaches the bottom float J, when
both floats being suspended out of the water they will have a greater downward
pressure than the sphere C. and balance weight H, and so the said floats will
gradually sink down with the water until the rocking lever C again assumes an
horizontal position, but without altering the position of the slide valve L. for the
reason above explained. The floats continuing to descend, the lever C will now
be inclined down to the end to which the said floats are attached and over to this
side the sphere C, will roll by gravitation.
For the reason above described this will cause the Hoats to sink rapidly and at
once move the slide 1. back to its first position so that it closes the steam
port. K₂ and opens the exhaust port K, allowing the steam contained in the vessel
to escape.
Then the same action will again take place as I have already
described.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 show a modification of the apparatus for the purpose of
making it feed continuously, the method above described being intermittent.
In this modification employ two separate vessels A and A, each vessel

page_text: .
containing a pair of floats I J and I J₁, both pairs being connected to the rocking
lever which is common to both. I dispense with the counter-balance weight, for
in this arrangement one pair of floats balances that pair in the opposite vessel.
Each vessel has a separate steam port K, and K, the sliding valve L and exhaust
port K, together with the rods and levers operating the said slide valve being
common to both. They also have independent inlet pipes T, Ty and outlet.
pipes U, U with their respective backpressure valves T₁, T, and U₁, Ū₁.
The action of this modification is as follows-
The apparatus is shown in Figure 6 in the position it assumes when the vessel A,
is open to the atmosphere through the exhaust port K, with the water flowing in,
and the vessel A is in communication with the steam chamber K through the steam
port K, with the water flowing from the said vessel into the steam boiler.
The rolling sphere C₂ is made to exactly equal in weight the amount of the
liquid displaced by one single float.
Water flows into the vessel A., and at the same time flows from the vessel A
into the boiler. This will continue, and no action in the mechanism will take
place until the level of the water has risen in the vessel A, as high as the top
float. I, and has fallen in the vessel A as low as the bottom float J, when the
Hoats in vessel A, will gradually ascend and the floats in the vessel A will
gradually descend, for the reason that the two Hoats in vessel A will be sus-
pended out of the water while the two in vessel A, will be submerged. Thus
the weight of the pair of floats in vessel A. exceeds the weight of the pair of
floats in vessel A, by the weight of the liquid displaced by the said pair and
as the weight of the sphere C, is only equal to the displacement of one single
float, the aforesaid pair of floats in vessel A. has the power of raising the said
sphere C, together with the pair of floats in vessel A..
For the reason described in relation to Figure 3, no motion is imparted to the
slide valve L up to this point.
On the water continuing to ascend in vessel A, and descend in vessel A the
floats tilt the rocking lever C so that it is inclined down towards the vessel A and
over to that side the sphere C, will roll by gravitation.
By this action the weight of the said sphere is taken from the end of the lever C
to which the floats I, J, are suspended and given to the opposite end, which will
cause it to descend rapidly and shift the slide valve Lover, so that the vessel A., is
in communication with the steam boiler, and vessel A is open to the exhaust
allowing the steam to escape from that vessel. The water will now flow from
vessel A, into the boiler, and at the same time the water will flow through the inlet
pipe into vessel A.
This will continue, and no action in the mechanism will take place, until the level
of the water has risen in the vessel A as high as the top float I, and has fallen in
the vessel A, as low as the bottom float J, when the floats in vessel A will
gradually ascend and the floats in vessel 'A, will gradually descend with the water
but without moving the slide valve 1 for the reason before explained. This
continuing, the rocking lever C becomes inclined, so that the end near the vessel A,
is lowest and over to that side the sphere C, will roll by gravitation. The weight
of the said sphere is thus taken from the end of the lever C to which the floats I, J
are suspended and given to the opposite side. This will cause the floats in
vessel A, to descend, and in vessel A to ascend rapidly and at once move the slide
valve L. back to its first position, so that the vessel A is in communication with the
steam, and the vessel A, is open to the exhaust allowing the steam to escape from
that vessel. The same action will again take place as I have already described.
Two stops Z and Z are provided for the rocking lever C to strike against.
Although have described the apparatus as used for returning water of condensa-
tion to boilers, it will be evident that it is also applicable for raising and forcing
water generally. It will be further evident that the details may be varied without
departing from the nature of this invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
said inven-
my
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-;
1. A top float and a bottom float for the purpose of giving motion to the different
working parts of the apparatus, only when the level of the water in rising in the
vessel reaches the said top float, or iu falling reaches the said bottom float; so that
no movement shall take place in the different working parts of the said apparatus
while the level of the water is rising or falling between the said floats substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the rocking lever C, the rolling sphere C₂, and the slide.
valve L with the top float I and bottom float J substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of the rocking lever C, the rolling sphere C2, and the slide.
valve L with two separate vessels, each vessel containing a pair of floats substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
4. The arrangement and combination of the parts constituting the apparatus
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Sth day of March 1893.
FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE.