IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1879

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LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
FEEDING STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Charles
Graham Chappell Simpson, of the City and District of Montreal, Province of
Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, Civil Engineer.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1879.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. " IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS." A communication from
abroad by Charles Graham Chappell Simpson, of the City and District of Montreal,
Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, Civil Engineer.
This Invention has reference to improvements on the apparatus for feeding steam
boilers for the purpose of overcoming the difficulty experienced in them that when
the temperature is above a certain point the pumps fail to work. My. Invention,
although capable of use in almost all classes of engines, is more particularly invented
by me to meet the requirements of the railway locomotive, where from the high rate of
speed or number of strokes made per minute it is found to be impracticable to properly
supply the boiler with feed water if the said feed water is at or over 140 degrees
Fab., or rather cannot be relied upon to give the required supply to the boiler, and
the instruments called injectors also become uncertain in their action at the said
temperature; if, therefore, an engine driver allows the water in his tender to be
heated to above this point he is unable to proceed further at the required speed if
the water is "low" in the boiler until by some means the water is again cooled
down. It will be borne in mind that although I have mentioned the temperature
at which the pumps and injectors will refuse to work as 140° Fah., I do so only
approximately, as the temperature will vary somewhat in different engines. As the
arrival of the train at its various stopping places is of more importance to the
interests of the railway than the mere saving of a percentage of fuel, the consequence
is that the engine driver takes very good care to keep well below the temperature
at which the pumps or injectors will refuse to work properly. The present Invention
provides in the first place a pump that will feed the boiler with water at any
[Prine 6d1

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temperature from 32° Fah. to 212° and over, for, in fact, if the temperature be raised
above 212° the water will be under pressure, which will causo my Invention to
work with greater certainty. It may not be convenient to put the feed water in
the tender of a locomotive engine under pressure, neither is it necessary, but I
propose to heat the water in the tender to the boiling point and maintain it at that
heat, the manner of doing which will herein-after be fully described. My Invention,
in the second place, relates to the means by which the water in the tender is heated
to the boiling point. My Invention, in the third place, relates to the construction
of heaters to be used in combination with my said pump, or the first part of my
Invention. My Invention, in the fourth place, consists in using in combination
with my said pump heaters which are not new per se in their general arrangement,
but only in certain details.. In the Drawings hereunto annexed similar letters of
reference indicate like parts, and Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central sectional
elevation of a pump embodying my Invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal central sectional
elevation of Fig. 1 ;Fig. 3, is a modification of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse section
on line x, x, Fig. 3 looking towards the entrance of barrel; Fig. 5 is a detail showing a
manner of attaching plunger to cross head; Fig. 6 is a modification of end of plunger;
Fig. 7 shows a means of using part of exhaust steam to heat the water in the tender,
&c.; Fig. 8 shows general arrangement of tank K, and pumps in cross section, at
chamber C; Fig. 9 shows general arrangement of heater to pass the feed water into
after it has been discharged by the pumps and is on its way to the boiler; Fig. 10 is
a general view of a heater intended only for slow heavy engines; Fig. 11 is an end
view in section on line x, x, Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a sectional plan on line y, Fig. 10
and 11; Fig. 13 is a section of a heater to be used either for "slow
or "fast"
engines as desired; Fig. 14 is a part plan and part sectional view of Fig. 13,
the sectional part of the Figure being taken on line x, Fig. 13. First describing my
Invention as regard the pump, letter A is a neck bored out true and fitting the
plunger B snugly yet not so tightly as to give any considerable amount of friction;
this neck terminates in an ordinary stuffing box to which my Invention does not
extend, therefore it is not shown in the Drawings. The neck A, fitted as above,
forms a guide to cause the plunger B to move in a line with its direction;
C is an opening or chamber formed in the barrel of the pump and having
an opening D equal to its full area, which opening connects the chamber
with the tank K, so that the said tank is, only vertically, an extension or enlarge-
ment of the said chamber. E is a cylinder forming the "barrel proper" of the
pump. It is bored out true, and in perfect line with the bore of the neck A,
and of equal diameter therewith; in fact when the pump is in the lathe the two
will be bored out at what is called the same time, and therefore be as required.
The barrel E is provided with a bell mouth F, the size and inclination of which
may be varied without materially changing its object. G is a chamber formed in
connection with the barrel E, in which is situated a valve H, and a passage extends
from the said chamber G to the ordinary delivery valve, which forming no part of
my present Invention is not shown in the Drawings. Under certain circumstances
the chamber G and valve H may be omitted, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case the
ordinary discharge valve will be situated with regard to the end of E in the ordinary
manner, and for this purpose the lower and of the barrel may be counterbored or
enlarged, as shown at E. On the plunger B a rectangular groove is cut, and an
elastic band I is forced over the end of the plunger, and forms the packing to render
said plunger water tight. While the plunger B is not reduced by friction, and fills
the cylinder E and neck A pretty perfectly, no packing I may be required under
ordinary circumstances. K is a tank into which the chamber C and valve H (if
used) open. As my Invention is particularly designed for the railway locomotive
engine, I will describe this tank as applied to an outside connected engine, from
which any workınan of ordinary capacity will understand how to apply it to other
engines. In such said engines between that part of the frame situated between the
guide bars of the steam cylinders an unoccupied space generally exists, in which
the tank K will be situated, and in such case may be formed to extend between the

page_text: pumps on each side of the engine, so that one tank K. may serve for both pumps.
This plan I prefer for reasons herein-after given; nevertheless each pump may be
provided with its own tank if desired. As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the tank K
extends transversely to the outside of the chamber C and valve H (if present), and
in length may be made of any size that there is convenient room for; it has
openings corresponding with D and H. If C and H are situated with regard to the
framing L as shown in Fig. 8, K. will be provided with legs M reaching down to
them. Should the boiler N be so low down as to require it a section may be cut
out of the tank. To the tank K (preferably its bottom) a pipe E2 similar to the
feed pipe to the ordinary pumps from the tender is connected, so that the required
feed may flow by its own gravity from the tender to the tank K. The end of the
plunger B may be attached to the cross head in the ordinary manner, but I prefer
to attach it in the manner shown in Fig. 5, so that should, there be any spring in
the guide bars or lost motion.between the said bars and cross head slides tending
to strain the plunger B out of line, the same may be compensated for by the sliding
of the block O in the link P, said block O being a projection formed on the cross
head. I will now describe the working of the pump, which will bring in therewith
the construction and arrangement of the other parts of my Invention. I shall
herein-after enter into certain proportions of stroke of the plunger B for clearness,
but the Invention is not confined to the proportions mentioned. We will first
suppose the plunger B, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to be at the extreme end of
its stroke, and that the distance that its end will have to travel through the
chamber C to be about one-third of its stroke, and that the remainder is made in
the barrel E; thus in Figs. 1 and 2 it will come to the chamber G, and in Fig. 3
nearly to the plug E³. It will be seen therefore, if these proportions are followed,
that one-third of the stroke and return stroke are made consecutively in the
chamber C, consequently when the plunger B leaves the bell mouth F the water
in C has only to fall in behind it to solidly close up the space, as B recedes with all
the velocity due to whatever head of water may be in C, K, and R above it in
atmospheric pressure, and that the water will have the time during the two one-
third strokes are accomplished in for flowing into the barrel E. As the top of the
tank K will be about on a level with the bottom of the tender, and for this reason
with others it will be enclosed, but provided with pipes R reaching up a sufficient
height to prevent the water overflowing by gravity, motion of engine, &c., &c.,
but the tank K and chamber C are by pipes R open to the atinosphere. If the
said chamber C is made large, as before mentioned, the pipe R may be attached
on it. I wish particularly here again to call attention that in this Specification
the tank K is considered to be nothing more or less than an enlargement of
the chamber C, and therefore does not constitute a separate element of the
Invention. The before-said closing up of the water after B, and flow of it
into the barrel F, will take place although the water should be 212° Fah. The
valve H and chamber G are provided so that as soon as the return stroke
of B commences the valve H may by gravity of its own and pressure of the
water upon it open a small amount to admit water to assist in filling the
barrel while that part of the return stroke is made in which the end of B moves
from the chamber G to bell mouth F; nevertheless I can foresee that a very
good working pump will be formed by omitting the chamber G and valve H, and.
it is a question whether the partial vacuum formed by the withdrawal of B from E
will not in some instances be more serviceable in filling the said barrel F entirely
from the chamber C than the advantage by using the valve H, for though a
powerful vapour will be given by any water in E, yet such will be instantly
absorbed by the incoming water. If the stroke of the pump has been arranged as
above described to be made in C and E it follows that it must be made much longer
than those at present in use on account of the chamber G and neck A; in most of
the railway locomotives this extra length cannot be well afforded without great
expensive alterations, therefore I must consider how this neck A may be obtained
without incurring said expense. From an examination of many different builds of

page_text: engines I see that there is gonerally speaking from about six to nine inches space
that may be added to the length of the pump without inconvenience to any of the
other parts except a small alteration in the part by which the pump is attached to
the cross head. This space, whatever it may be, I propose to throw into the
neck A, and add to the neck in the following manner: I cause a certain portion
of the stroke of B to be performed within the said neck, another portion in C, and
the remainder in E; for example-suppose one quarter of the stroke to be performed
in A, one quarter in C, and the remainder in E, as in this case and in the previous
one the length of the barrel E is reduced from the full length of the stroke to give
the same amount of pumping capacity it may be correspondingly increased in
diameter to compensate therefor. S is a hand hole cover; this I should prefer to
make with a ground joint, so that it may be taken off and put on again tight in a
few minutes without cement; it thus enables a new packing or grommet I to be put
on with only a few minutes labour, as while stopping at a station, &c. Where the
plunger B works with part of its stroke in A the entrance to A will have a small
bell mouth. It will be seen that when the pump is arranged as shown in Fig. 3
the ordinary inlet valve does not exist in it, but the chamber C is substituted
wholly therefor. The barrel E may have a much smaller proportion to the whole
length of the stroke of B than those proportions already described. In Fig. 6 the
plunger B is shown with a bevel T to prevent the very slight "recocheting" action
upon the plunger in the chamber C; it may also have a bevel V instead of bell
mouth F, but I prefer to use the bell mouth and plunger with a flat end. The
heating of the water in the tender may be done in the manner heretofore in use,
but I prefer also to introduce into the steam cylinder exhaust pipe W (Fig. 6) a
small pipe A¹, having a bell mouth B¹; this pipe will be in the most direct and
convenient manner led to the bottom of the tender tank, where it will allow the
steam to escape into the water; each of the exhaust pipes will be similarly pro-
vided. The pipes A' will be provided with stop cocks, for after the water has been
brought to the boiling point it will not answer any useful purpose to pour in a
large body of steam, and thereby violently agitate the water if the tender is not
enclosed. As the tank K is situated at a considerable distance from the tender,
therefore an amount of heat will be lost in the transmission of the water to the
tank K. I propose to put into it an ordinary coil or system of heating pipes, the
position of which is indicated by the dotted lines enclosing O', Fig. 8.
This coil
will be connected with one or both of the exhaust ports of the cylinders, and will
serve as a heat refreshener to K, or one of the pipes A' may be connected with the
tender tank, and the other to K. I do not think it is desirable to blow the naked
steam into the tank K, because it would too violently agitate the water, and might
obstruct the flow of the water to it from the tender. The coil, &c., after passing
through the tank K, may be open to the atmosphere or carried to the tender tank,
as desired. The pipes connecting the coil, &c., in K must be provided with stop-
cocks controlable from the foot board of the engine in the ordinary manner. Any
steam formed by the ebullition of the water in K will take the direction of the
arrows in Fig. 8, and escape by the pipes R, so that by looking at the orifice at the
top of R, and seeing that steam is being driven therefrom, it will be known that
the water in K is boiling, and if water is forcibly ejected from the top of R the
communication to the coil, &c., C' must be wholly or partially closed until the
water has subsided. By this means my pump will be supplied with water at
the boiling point. The pumps may deliver the water into the boiler at the
usual or any desired place, but if it is desired to carry the economy further,
and deliver the water at a much higher temperature, then I provide a
water space D¹, extending around the smoke arch and smoke pipe, see Figs. 9
and 13 this water space is filled by the feed pump up to the orifice of the
pipe F, which pipe conducts it by gravity to the boiler N. In Figs. 13 and 14 the
upper part of the water space D₁ is made with enlarged diameter sufficient to con-
tain a number of water tubes G', which connect at the bottom with the water space
D and at the top with an annular hollow ring H³, connected with the top of the

page_text: water space D' by circulating pipes I', only one of which is shown in Figs. 13 and
14, but a number of which may be provided. By making them of the contiguration
shown they will have sufficient spring to compensate for any unequal contraction
and expansion of the tubes G' with the water space D'. K¹ is a double plate;
the lower side serves as a deflector to deflect the exhaust steam, &c., and cause
it to cross the tubes G¹ in the manner indicated by the arrows. The upper surface
being inclined prevents the lodgment of ashes. L³, indicated by the heavy dotted
lines below K', is a piece of wire gauze or netting preventing cinders, &c., from
passing to the tubes G¹, and may be used or not as desired; M' are openings
formed in D' for cleaning out any ashes that may accumulate on the tube sheet
in D¹; these may if desired be filled with pockets to receive the ashes. Figs. 10, 11,
and 12 show a class of heaters only intended to be used with slow, heavy engines.
Here N is the ordinary boiler, on the top of which is placed a heater, having a set
of tubes N¹, and return tubes O¹. These tubes, although much fewer in number
than those contained in the boiler N, will be made of inuch greater diameter, so that
they will have the required amount of flue area. Here the water space D¹ again
exists as shown in Figs 11 and 12. P¹is a water-bridge through which the exhaust
pipe or pipes pass. By this bridge the products of combustion are caused to pass
from the boiler N through the tubes N', and return through the tubes O¹. R' are
openings made in the bridge; these are provided with sliding dampers arranged to
be worked from the foot plate in the ordinary way, and are for the purpose of
allowing the products of combustion from N to pass directly to the chimney S or
not, as desired, and regulating the amount of the products of combustion that will
be caused to go through the tubes N¹ and O¹, or when getting up steam before
starting out they may be set wide open; S2 shows the points at or near which the
pipes from the pumps deliver the water into the water space D'. The dotted line
S, Fig. 10, may be called about the water level. It is not intended that any
evaporation shall take place in any of the above heaters, but only the communica-
tion of heat to the feed water, therefore a much smaller surface will be required.
From the above description of heaters shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 it
would be supposed that a large additional amount of weight will be added to the
engine; this would no doubt be the case if these heaters were added to the old
engines at present in use, but in constructing new engines it must be borne in mind
that the fact of heating the feed water to 212° Fah. instead of 100° Fah. will effect
a saving of from about 10 to 12 per cent., consequently the boiler N will only
require to be about ninety per cent. capacity of the present boiler. Again, if by the
heaters above described the water enters the boiler at 340° Fah., where an engine's
working pressure is 120 lbs. on the square inch, and indeed on the continent of
America the working pressure is sometimes as high as 130 and 135 lbs., we again
add another 128° of temperature to the feed water at the boiling point, making a
further saving of about from 12 to 17 per cent., in which case the boiler N may be
reduced to 75 or 80 per cent. of the capacity of those at present in use. We thus
have a large amount of weight in the boiler dispensed with, which will compensate
in part for the extra weight of heater. Claims:-1st. The combination of the
barrel E, chamber C, and plunger B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. The combination of the guiding neck A, plunger B, chamber C, and barrel E,
substantially as set forth. 3rd. The combination of a guiding neck A, plunger B,
chamber C, and barrel E having bell mouth F, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth. 4th. The combination of the barrel E, chamber C, plunger B, chamber
G, and valve H, substantially as described. 5th. The combination of a feed pump
of the chamber C, provided with hot water as described, with the plunger B and
barrel E, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 6th. The combination of
chamber C, provided with hot water as described and having pipe R attached
to it or its extension K, plunger B, and barrel E, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth. 7th. The combination of the chamber C, provided with hot
water as described, and having pipe R attached to it or its extension K, guiding
neck A, plunger B, and barrel E, substantially as set forth. 8th. As a new article

page_text: of manufacture, a steam boiler feed pump having its barrel opening directly to the
feed chamber (by which said barrel is filled), as herein described, and its plunger-
stroke made to work partly in the feed chamber and partly in said barrel, substan-
tially as described. 9th. As a new article of manufacture a feed pump having its
barrel opening directly to the feed chamber by which said barrel is filled and
having in connection with said feed chamber a guiding neck, substantially as
described, with a plunger which makes portions of its stroke in each of the three
parts, viz, neck, feed chamber, and barrel, substantially as described. 10th. In
combination with the pump constructed and arranged as described and shown in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a water space D₁, substantially as described. 11th. The combina-
tion of the pump herein described and shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with the water
space D', having tubes G³, annular ring H', and circulating pipes 11, substantially
as set forth. 12th. The combination of the boiler N with the heater composed of
water space D¹, water tubes G', annular ring H³, circulating pipes I, deflector K',
substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 13th. In combination with the
pump herein described and shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the heater shown in Fig. 10,
composed of tubes N¹, O¹, water bridge P', with exhaust pipe Q2, substantially as
and for the purposes set. forth. 14th. The combination with the boiler N of a
heater composed of tubes N1, O', bridge P' having openings R' and exhaust pipe
Q, substantially as described. 15th. The combination of the exhaust pipe W
(Fig. 7) with the pipe A¹, having bell mouth B₁, substantially as set forth. 16th.
The combination of the tank K or otherwise chambor C having heater coil C¹; with
the tender tank and a pump, substantially as described. 17th. The combination of
the tank K or chamber C having coil C¹ connected with the exhaust port or exhaust
pipe of the steam cylinder, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, A.D. 1879.